The Scout and the Crab
by Crystal124
Summary: Scout is approached by a mysterious talking crab that claims to be the BLU Spy under a curse; and the only way to break this curse is a kiss from a virgin. Unfortunately for the SpyCrab, the Scout would rather jump off a bridge than kiss another man.
1. You Have Failed

**Chapter 1** – _You have Failed_

"_Today's the day._" Scout thought to himself as he breathed in through his mouth. Eagerly waiting for the Announcer to finish her countdown for their "mission" to actually start.

It had been a while since the REDs had won a battle against the BLU team_**.**_ They were uncoordinated and refused to actually help one another while on the field, which the BLU team probably figured out and started formulating plans and attack formations to stop their RED counterparts. It was super effective!

"C'mon, c'mon," he groaned impatiently, hoping to speed the Announcer up.

" _Mission begins in Sixty seconds._"

"Ah JEEZ!"

" Already ichin' to be sent t' respawn?" the Red Sniper half chuckled. Scout almost rolled his eyes.

"Shut up!" he snapped, "That's not gonna happen 'dis time! 'sides, we would've won last time if _someone_..." He shot a glare over his shoulder at the taller man, who narrowed his eyes through his tinted glasses. "...wasn't so busy pissing in a jar!"

Sniper flinched slightly, unable to hide his embarrassment- a sheer clue that indeed that was what he was doing. "Mind yer own business, you lit'le ankle-biter!" The young man scoffed.

"I'm sick and tired of losin' to them BLUs! Focus less on your dick and more on your job!"

" I SAID-"

The Engineer stepped forward, intentionally jamming himself between the young man and rugged outdoors-man. "Aw c'mon fellas, lets not go through this again," the Texan practically begged, "we're suppose to be fightin' them BLUs, not each other."

The two let out a hard sigh, returning their gaze to the battlefield ahead of them. The Engineer remained between them to help avoid yet another fight between the Sniper and Scout. That happened a lot, and it was either the Engineer or Soldier who would have to intervene to stop the two. Actually, the Soldier encouraged the fighting.

"_Mission begins in Thirty seconds_."

Silence. The Scout let out another sigh, trying to focus on the route he was going to take that he figured would be the quickest and safest route to the Intel room of 2fort. All he had to do was run there, grab the suitcase and run back. Instant Victory. Simple, easy.

He could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he counted down in his head when that gate in front of him was finally going to open and he would rush forward ahead of his team mates. Just the thought of running made his blood flow even faster, making him more and more anxious. Nothing was going to take his mind off the road ahead of him.

" Wha' good is a Scout who can't properly retrieve Intel anyways?"

Never mind.

The anticipation in Scout immediately turned into anger. He turned around to face the man, but the Engineer stood firm to avoid a fist fight between the two. Sniper only smiled at him, knowing he hit a nerve on the Scout.

"What the hell is your friggin' problem?" Scout demanded, raising his voice so could gain some authority, or at least some respect. While the others couldn't see it, the Scout was trying his hardest to hold back throwing a punch as the assassin's face.

"BEGIN!"

"CHARGE!" The RED Soldier bellowed, pushing through everyone to get to the front.

Almost immediately, the gate swung open and everyone scrambled out of the base, practically trampling Scout who was left unprepared. The Sniper used his rifle to push the Scout to the ground as he jumped over him to get to his usual spot to snipe unsuspecting BLUs. Scout curled into a ball and covered his head with his hands as everyone ran past him. Thankfully no one actually stepped on him, which he was thankful for.

Scout groaned he picked himself off the ground, just in time to see the Heavy running full scale towards the BLU base with the Medic right behind him as always.

"GET BEHIND ME DOKTOR!" Heavy cried out.

"Jawohl." Medic replied.

Scout was almost tempted to call the Medic over to him; he was almost trampled after all, but mostly he just wanted to be mean and annoy the Heavy.

After dusting himself off, Scout took out his trademark bat and sprinted out of the RED base and onto the dusty front of 2fort. His strategy ran though his head as he picked up the pace, it was easy; avoid certain death, grab the suitcase in the BLU base, avoid death again, return to the RED base and win! Easy!

"Whoa! Deja-vu!" Shouted Scout. He shook his head and sped forward, avoiding bullets that were shot from a few BLU members from across the canal. The RED Engineer was setting up a Sentry gun along the walls of the RED Base, Scout paid no attention as he jumped onto the top of the covered bridge. His mind wandered again as he wondered why RED didn't just destroy the bridge and be done with the war. The Soldiers on either side could easily rocket jump across the moat, or so he thought. He wasn't a Soldier, so he wouldn't know if they could do that. Could they though? WHOA!

Scout jerked to the side as a bullet barely grazed past his face. The bullet belonged to a near by BLU Sniper perched on the second story, practically in front of him from atop the bridge.

"MISSED ME!" Scout cried. He regretted yelling that, though, as the Sniper quickly reloaded the gun and took aim at his head. That was a fast Sniper. "Ah, crap."

He didn't hear the gun shot, but the enemy Sniper staggered a bit before dropping his gun and falling to the ground below his perch. Scout stopped at the edge of the bridge and looked down at the now-dead BLU mercenary. He looked behind him and saw that the RED Sniper had killed his would-be killer. How ironic. He was still mad at the Sniper for his earlier comment, but the Sniper merely waved to him almost sarcastically. Scout could almost hear the Sniper's voice in his head as the man mouthed the words "You're **welcome**, you lit'le wankah!" in an equally sarcastic tone- at least to the Scout it was sarcastic.

"Jerk." The young man huffed.

"ATTACK!" Cried the BLU Soldier, thankfully not noticing the Scout. Even though he was standing right there in the open on top of the covered bridge.

The runner jumped from the top of the bridge and landed close to the BLU Sniper's corpse. He cursed to himself about his slow start, but sped forward into the BLU base. Scout noted to himself how similar their base was too his own, which made it easier for him – aside from having to avoid several of the BLU mercenaries who stayed inside to protect the briefcase.

"Morons." he thought to himself as he rounded a corner and ran up a flight of stairs, only to have to run down even more stairs.

He felt himself picking up his speed as he ran down the halls, quickly coming closer and closer to his objective; a simple blue colored briefcase. The Intel office itself soon came into view. "Luck be a freakin' hot lady tonight." he grinned.

The moment was interrupted by a loud gunshot. The sound itself wasn't aimed at him, but it was close.

"Oh shit!" Scout froze in place as the lifeless body of a RED Pyro flew from a separate room and landed in Scout's path. A large bullet wound was on the side of it's head.

"Hmm?" a deep voice rang out.

Scout hesitated, but he looked towards the voice. He already regretted it when he locked eyes with the BLU Spy.

"Damn cliché." he groaned out loud. Then again, he half-expected to run into the man, hopefully for a little payback for all those the times that the foreigner sent him to respawn.

To add insult to injury – in the Scout's case- he's been keeping track on how many times he's been sent to Respawn due to the Blu Spy managing to backstab him. Scout hated that the most; he was always the fastest one on the field (he always assumed his BLU counterpart was slower than he), and yet he was still being backstabbed that damned Blu Spy. He was a slower class, a slower class! Talk about embarrassing. Why did he crouch in the first place? Even he didn't know why, but he did. Which resulted in the Spy catching up to him and jamming the blade into his exposed back. God he hated that replaying in his head again.

The Spy let out a silent sigh as he looked at his cloaking watch, most likely pretending it was a real watch.

"Well, you certainly got here quicker than expected," Commented Spy. It was hard to tell if he was being serious or sarcastic, but he did sound a little impressed with the Scout. He chuckled slightly as he looked up at the Scout again, dusting himself a bit. "Quick as a little bunny, weren't you?" He practically spat out the word 'bunny', and it was the way he said it that really rubbed Scout the wrong way.

Scout didn't waste any time. He immediately took off running again, not in the opposite direction far away from the talented rogue, but towards the Intel room. He was going to finish what he started, darn it!

"Get back here, boy!" The Spy called out to him. Yeah right, like the Scout was going to stop that easily.

"You ain't gonna win 'dis time, dumbass!" Scout replied, reaching the Intel room and grabbing the briefcase, making his exit out the opposite door.

"Alert!" a familiar woman's voice boomed over the intercoms. "The Enemy has taken our intelligence!"

He couldn't tell if the Spy was behind him, nor did he want to risk checking to see if he was, but the Scout ran faster than ever with his objective in his hands. Already, several other BLU members were hot on his tail, particularly the BLU Soldier, who already attempted to cut off the Scout's path by jumping in front of him and taking a swing at the young man with his shovel. Scout had plenty of time to react, taking a single step backwards before leaping over the taller man; who immediately spewed insults and curses right and left as the RED runner narrowly dodge the sharp edge of the shovel and continued running up the hallways.

"MAGGOT!" was the only word the Scout actually understood from the BLU Soldier.

"GET BACK HERE!" The Soldier switched his shovel for his rocket launcher. Immediately taking aim at the Scout and firing a missile.

Scout took a sharp turn, the missile missing him but impacted with the wall instead. The small explosion still rang in the Scout's ears. "That was close" he thought to himself. He grinned suddenly, feeling the RED team's luck finally changed.

All he had to do was run across the bridge and run to their own intel room, and it would be over - for then, at least. Scout never understood why battle was never-ending. The BLUs would steal their intelligence, and somehow another briefcase would show up later and the battle would start again. Was this war ever going to end? Who cares, he was getting paid for it, so why question it now?

"Alert! The Enemy has taken our intelligence!"

"What the-?"

He almost forgot he wasn't the only Scout on the battlefield. Chances were, his BLU counterpart had also make a beeline for the RED's briefcase just as he did. Since he, himself, got the BLU's briefcase first, he still had the advantage of winning, just as long as one of his teammates took out the thief and recovered their own intelligence_**.**_ Scout was in too good of mood for this battle to end in a Stalemate.

"_Faster, faster, faster!_" He silently yelled to himself like a football coach would.

A few more missiles flew over his head, thankfully missing again, as the BLU Solider desperately tried to keep up, though clearly no match for the faster class. It was almost laughable. Finally, though, his pursuer was stopped by his own team's Soldier, who challenged his counterpart to a shovel duel.

Deep inside, Scout really wanted to see who would've won that battle. His money was on the Red Soldier, naturally.

With everyone within either fort at each other's throats – a RED guy fighting a BLU guy that is- , it made the journey out of the BLU base easier for the Bostonian as he ran through the last flight of stairs before sprinting out of the BLU Base and into the open, almost blinded for a second by the bright sun. His eyes quickly adjusted to the change of lighting as he headed towards the bridge.

"I got it, I got it, I got iiiit!" Scout yelled out to his teammates across the bridge.

Sudden movement caught his attention. He looked up slightly and saw the Red Sniper standing in his usual spot. The Australian was calling out to him, but Scout was too far for him to be heard, although the way he was waving his arms rapidly was what caught Scout's attention in the first place. While he was unsure if the Sniper was trying to get his attention directly, he eventually understood what was going on when the Sniper began violently pointed in the air as if saying "Look behind you".

Scout was almost reluctant, in fact, he didn't even WANT to look. He grumbled to himself and just ran forward. He almost made it to the wooden bridge when a sharp, excruciating pain enter his back.. He released a near-silent scream as he fell forward. He KNEW this pain, it was all too familiar to him; The blade of the BLU Spy's Knife.

"_That dirty rat cheated._" was the first thing to come to his mind.

The Briefcase flew from his hands as the young man hit from the ground, his precious life slowly draining from his body, and yet he was still half-alive. As he lay there, breathing heavily and humiliated, he watched his own BLU Counterpart practically skip across the bridge with the RED Intel in hand.

"Dude, that was frikkin' **awesome**!" He heard the BLU Scout praise someone that was behind him. Scout wasn't able to turn his head to see who it was that the Scout was talking to.

The BLU Scout didn't hold still, immediately running into the his base to claim their victory.

"That..was a close one," The French accent was dead give away that it the Spy the BLU Scout was talking to.

Scout heard footsteps approaching him from behind, accompanied by several others. The BLU Pyro was the first to come into view, ignoring Scout completely and scooping up the BLU Briefcase and following after the BLU Scout.

"Well, here lies Scout-he ran fast and died a **virgin.**" The BLU Spy announced in the most annoying tone Scout has ever heard. The laughter from several other BLUs was just salt in the wound for the young Bostonian .

His breathing picked up as the Spy was practically over him, it dawned on Scout what happened; The Spy threw his knife, that was how he managed to get the Scout all this time. He was never backstabbed, well, he was, but not in the same way a Spy would back-stab a sitting Sniper, no. More like a projectile-stab.

The Frenchmen paused, noticing the Scout's fingers digging into the dirt and hearing a slight groan escape the boy's mouth.

"Still alive are we?" He half-whispered. "How unfortunate."

Spy reached out and lightly curled his gloved fingers around the handle of the knife.

"I.**Hate**.You." Scout growled, his eyes burning with anger as they met with the Spy's again.

There was a slight pause. The sound of the Scout's heavy breathing was the only thing breaking the silence.

"The feeling is mutual." The Spy answered in a dry tone.

The BLU Spy tightened his grip on the handle, not hesitating to twist it deeper into the wound. Everything went black for the RED Scout.

"YOU HAVE FAILED!" The Announced was not pleased.

(I apologize for all the mistakes I made. I tried tried working from memory with the 2Fort map, and it didn't end well.)


	2. Little Bunny

**Chapter 2** – _Little Bunny_

If there was one thing Scout was never good at, it was learning from his mistakes. After his encounter with the BLU Spy, he didn't bother with another new strategy. His was perfect as it was! The only flaw was that the Spy threw a knife in his back.

The next day, he repeated his route, jumping on top of the bridge and leaping across to the second story of the BLU building. The journey was cut short after encountering a BLU Heavy who was positioned in the hallways along with a BLU Medic ready to ÜberCharge the large Russian.

"CRAP!"

It didn't end well. While he did manage to escape by the skin of his teeth, his blue-suited nemesis wasn't too far away to finish what the Heavy started.

That didn't stop him, though. He was a stubborn son of a gun - at least that's how the RED Engineer worded it when the Scout reemerged from the RED base and repeated his approach into the BLU fort again. Luckily for him, the BLU Heavy moved on and the Spy was nowhere to be seen, but in his place was a Fire-Happy BLU Pyro. Scout was able to outrun the little whatever-the-hell Pyro was, however, the flames that shot from its flamethrower were just as fast.

"CRAP!"

The Engineer pulled the young man aside before he gave it a third shot. "Maybe ya outta try a different approach there, boy" suggested the Texan. "The one yer usin' ain't working for ya."

"There's nuthin' wrong with my strategy, hardhat!"

"Son, you were sent to respawn twice in almost five minutes." The Scout's legs were twitching with adrenalin. He was tempted to just take off before the shorter, yet older man could finish. "I understand you want to win one for the RED team. I want to win too, but I don't think what yer doin' is workin' for any of us."

"Hey hey! Third time's the charm, man! Y'll see! This time I'll get it fer sure!"

It was pointless arguing with him. The Engineer just stood aside and watched the Scout take off. Watching him jump onto the bridge again, failing to notice the BLU Engineer had built a Sentry Gun from the second story of the BLU Building.

"CRAP!"

The gunshots echoed throughout the gap between the two buildings. The Scout's limp, unmoving body fell from the bridge into the canal. The Engineer was not surprised.

"Just a dead little jackrabbit!" he heard the BLU Engineer chuckle from across the trench.

Engineer let out a heavy, disappointed sigh.

"Somethin' just ain't right with that boy."

- _Hours later_-

The sun was slowly setting over the horizon as Cease-Fire was announced. Neither team had won today - a stalemate some would call it. It didn't really matter to the Scout. RED hadn't earned a victory yet, not for the longest time. He was dripping with sweat as he walked back towards the building almost shamefully. A million questions ran though his mind. One question in particular kept popping up: "_Where did they go wrong_."

Easy, one of the BLU mercenaries made off with the Intel. Either RED was getting lazy, or they were somehow transported into an alternate dimension where the BLU team was more skilled than the RED team.

The Scout paused and looked across the canal, narrowing his eyes at the few BLU members still on the field. One of which was the BLU Spy, who was casually taking a drag from a fresh cigarette. The slight silence was broken by the loud, earsplitting cackle from the still drunk BLU Demoman as he caught site the Scout starring at him.

"Oh-Ho! Look at the little bunny... scurryin' around, eatin' up bits o' lettuce and berries!" He completed his insult to the Scout by taking a few short bunny hops and clicking his teeth as if he were chewing on a carrot. The men around him burst out laughing at the Scots' little performance.

"Why the hell is everyone calling me a frikkin' rabbit?" Scout let out in an irritated growl.

"Leetle Scout has note on back!" Scout jerked his head away from the BLUs and towards the RED Heavy, who was accompanied by the ever loyal RED Medic.

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" he half-demanded.

"Note." The Heavy reached behind the runner and pulled out a small piece of white paper that was attached to his back by a small piece of tape.

"..the hell?" Scout snatched the note and looked it over immediately, a word written on one side in large dark letters: '**Virgin**'. The Scout let out an enraged snarl. He could already tell by the handwriting who wrote the note: the BLU Spy. The man had probably slipped the note on him when he was still technically dead. The Medic let out a high pitch laugh when he noticed the word.

"Oh, how embarrassing!" he laughed. Heavy joined him in laughter, which only irritated the Scout more.

"I'm gonna freakin' kill him!" He almost took off running across the bridge to bash the BLU Spy across the skull with his bat, and maybe even take a swing at the Demoman while he was over there.

"Oi! Were do you think yer goin'?" questioned the Sniper. The Sniper grabbed his arm before he even took two steps. The man looked in the Scout's direction, catching sight of the remaining BLU mercenaries walking to their respective building. "They ain't worth it, mate. Best wait till sunrise, eh?"

"Don't baby me!" shouted the Scout. He jerked his arm out of the Sniper's grasp. "They had it coming anyways!" He threw his arms up into the air. "They keep callin' me a freakin' Rabbit. What's up with that?"

He knew why. The BLU Spy probably bragged to his teammates after adding the kid from Boston to the death list. He more than likely referred to the Scout as a bunny while doing so. His fellow BLUs must have liked the embarrassing nickname for the boy.

"Could be because you are like one," replied Sniper, very calmly.

"What?"

"You're fast like one, at least." He slung his arm across the Scout's shoulders, leading the young man inside. "Rabbits are fast, very tricky to shoot. Could be a compliment when ya think about it. They o'ly refer to you as a bunny to push yer buttons. Don' let it bothah yah." The Scout only replied with a sigh. He was too tired to argue, or shrug the Sniper's arm off of his shoulder.

"Whatever. Why are you bein' so nice all of a sudden?" There was no answer - only silence. He didn't realize it at the time, but he was leaning into the warm body of the Sniper, practically cuddling. "Um..."

"Can I tell yah somethin', Scout?" whispered the Sniper.

Scout looked at the Australian. "Yeah?" The Sniper wrinkled his nose at the Scout.

"Ya seriously reek, mate!" He removed his arm from the Scout and gave him a playful shove, chuckling all the while. "Be sure to shower first before headin' off to bed!"

"What are you, my ma?" Scout was actually laughing, a bit surprised by this. "Not cool, man, seriously!" Sniper chuckled again and made his way to his room, leaving the Scout's side.

Scout let out a heavy, content sigh. He needed that; just something to make him laugh again, to forget the stress of losing almost everyday to the BLU team. Even before joining Reliable Excavation Demolition, while still living on the streets of Boston, to the Scout, his life in Boston and his current position on the RED team were very similar. Granted, Boston was now a large Fort with red paint and his older brothers were replaced with grown men from different regions of the world. Instead of fights with other street brawlers, it was a fight for a Capture Point on the 2Fort field or a clever dash for a briefcase containing Intelligence from the enemy.

Unlike his experiences in Boston, though, he was never killed. Injured, yes, but never killed. Although he had been killed multiple times since his arrival as the Scout, he was getting use to 'returning from the dead' and the Soldier colorfully described it. He could never permanently die, so he never complained, except when emerging from Respawn.

"Hey!" called the Scout. The Sniper stopped, turning his head slightly to look at the younger RED over his shoulder. "A...about yesterday…"

"Yah?" Sniper raised an eyebrow.

"I – um- well, I...I'm s- ...s-s-so- I'm..I...I forgive you, ok?" That was as close as Scout was going to come to an apology. "We cool?" Sniper shrugged with a soft smile.

"Water under the bridge, mate. No feelings were hurt. Enjoy yer shower."

"Thanks."

-_Three days later_-

"The enemy has captured our intelligence!"

Luck was finally on the RED team's side as the Scout ran through the BLU base with the briefcase. He was prepared that time. His chat with the Sniper days before inspired him to do so.

"_They think I'm a rabbit? I'll give 'em a freakin' rabbit!_"

He spent the last few days playing defense, acting more like recon than a scout. They were almost the same thing, but to the Scout, they were completely different things. He kept himself alive by hiding behind the Engineer's sentry gun, keeping a close eye on the BLU's fighting strategies and those who acted as defense when the class itself was made for offensive purposes. Occasionally he would sprint into the opposite building, usually when the RED Heavy would go charging in, using that opportunity to study his enemies who remained inside the building. Secretly, he was using the Heavy as a human shield, but the large man was never aware of it.

The waiting was worth it when he finally noticed a pattern with a few of the BLU classes. The BLU Scout and Medic were left in charge of collecting the RED intelligence. Due to his speed, it was mainly the Scout since the BLU Heavy depended on the Medic for an extra boost when he was in charge of defense. When the Heavy moved on, the BLU Pyro took his place and then the BLU Spy would take over. While the shifts were at random, the Scout planned on making his move for the intel when the Spy took over. That man was going DOWN!

Scout shared his findings with the Sniper, who agreed to keep an eye out for either the BLU Scout or Medic, but also took a few shots at some BLUs who stood in the Scout's way.

Things were finally going the right way for RED. As the Scout ran though the final hallway, he realized the Spy was never there. "_Where is that spook?_" Scout assumed he was taking a smoke break during the worst time ever of the battle. If the BLU Spy was anything like the RED Spy – aside from sleeping with the enemy's mom – this Spy was as bad of a smoker as his own.

If the Spy didn't know the Scout was on his way to the RED base, he was in the clear, and he was feeling pretty darn good about it, too.

"Say good-bye to your secret crap, dumb-ass!" Scout yelled to a couple of BLUs, who were resting idly near the exit. One of the two was the BLU Soldier, who immediately picked up his missile launcher and ran after the Scout, trying to shoot him down with a couple of shots, but missed.

"Why isn't anyone in the Intelligence room?" he heard the Solider yell.

"Whoa!" gasped the Scout as a missile nearly hit his legs. He jumped to avoid some debris the ammo stirred up.

"GO, GO, GO!" The RED Heavy called out to the Scout, who immediately quickened his pace as the Heavy showered the enemy Soldier with an onslaught of bullets. The Heavy laughed out with delight. "CRY SOME MORE!"

"Thanks, tough guy." Scout whispered to himself.

If the Scout ran any faster, he swore his heart was going to burst, most likely from the excitement when he realized he was already across the bridge. He could almost hear a crowd of supporting fans cheering in his head as he entered RED HQ.

"_I don't care where ya are, ya dirty shape-shiftin' rat, but I'd give my paycheck to see the look on yer face when we win 'dis._"

In Scout's head, he imagined he was playing baseball and his homerun would win the World Series. Taking the briefcase in both hands, he finally reached the RED intelligence room and ran up to the empty desk which, thankfully, still had their own intel. Was it a dream? Who cared! It was all over when Scout slammed the heavy briefcase next to their own.

"SUCCESS! WE HAVE SECURED THE ENEMY INTELLIGENCE!"

Finally, RED finally won this round. Scout forgot what victory was like. It was...sickening? He used the desk to support himself as he stood there looking at the blue colored case, trying to catch his breath and allowing the reality of their win to set it.

The distant chatter of his teammates drew closer and closer as they neared the room.

"Every single one of you deserves a medal!" announced the Soldier. "Unfortunately, I'm the only one who has 'em, so I'd better not hear ANY complaints from you maggots!"

The room was busy with chatter and hardy congrats to each other. The Soldier laughed and slapped the Scout on the back, shaking him slightly with pride. "That's how we do it!" he addressed to the Scout. "THAT is how we do it!"

It was the way he said it that made it seem it was the Soldier, himself, who was responsible for their victory. Scout was smart enough to learn never to argue with the Soldier. That guy had a shovel, and he knew how to decapitate with it.

The Sniper was the last to arrive just as everyone was leaving. He smiled at the Scout and walked up to the young man.

"You look like hell," he stated, almost awkwardly.

"We freakin' won, man!" Scout panted, still managing to smile back. Sniper nodded.

"Think you can do it again?"

"And again and again and again! Maybe even thirty times in one day!"

"I think you'd probably die." Sniper cringed at the though of working longer, even after winning.

"Yeah, maybe." Scout sat down and slumped against the desk, using his arm to wipe away sweat from his brow. "Hey, can I ask you somethin'?"

"Hmm?"

"The BLU Spy...did you see him today?" Sniper was quiet for a moment, a deep "Hmmm" rumbled from his throat as his eyes gazed up at the ceiling.

"Now that I think about it, no, I didn't." He shook his head. "Probably out destoryin' one o' Truckie's gadgets."

"Maybe," replied Scout.

"This is probably a blessing in disguise." Sniper held out his hand. Scout reluctantly took hold of it and allowed Sniper to help him to his feet. "No pun indeed, as you might say." As bad as the joke was, Scout forced a sympathetic chuckle.

"That was terrible."

"Don't let yer guard down. He might be back tomorrow, till then though…" He wrapped his arm around Scout's shoulder again, leading him out of the room wit him. "…let's just enjoy our victory, eh?"

"Was I fast?" chuckled Scout.

The Australian snorted. "Like a little bunny."

"Shut up!"


	3. Voices

**Chapter 3** - _Voices_

Second verse, same as the first. Yesterday's victory had the RED Scout pumped for more action and hopefully another win. Needless to say, everyone was enthusiastic; winning usually did that. The Solider had a plan this time though. He announced the victory was just a fluke – a lucky one, but the Scout was just acting on his own schedule with some light cover from the Sniper.

"If fighting leads to victory than we must FIGHT!" announced the Soldier. Everyone remained silent in the meeting room. The Demoman let out an awkward cough. "What?" the Soldier demanded. "Sun Tzu said that, and I'd say he knows a little mo-"

"We've heard zhe story before, Herr Soldier," Medic sighed.

"It is NOT a story!" yelled the Soldier. "It was a true event that truly happened!"

"The way I see it," began the Engineer, sitting back in his seat, "is we've tried this tactic before, and we're not doing so good."

"That's because you're not well trained like me," commented the Soldier. "I could win the next round easily by myself!"

"I would pay money to see that," the RED Spy whispered to Pyro, who let out a muffled giggle.

"You've got something you wanna say to the rest of the ladies?" The Soldier glared at the Frenchman through his helmet. The Spy cleared his throat.

"I will admit: The Scout's performance yesterday was rather...stale." The Scout scoffed and rolled his eyes. The RED Spy was one person that was never impressed with anyone, except himself. " However, it 'as inspired a little idea that could 'elp us gain another win, if you are interested that is."

"You don't say." The Soldier was very curious.

"I will need everyone's cooperation though."

-_Late that Afternoon_ -

"Alert! The enemy has taken our intelligence!"

"Hit da road, bozo, let a real Scout get ta work!" he chanted when he saw The BLU Scout caught sight of him springing out of the Intelligence Room. Scout made sure the BLU Scout was following him before he picked up his speed. It was almost insulting when his double pulled out his scattergun and began firing at him. As expected, the BLU Scout wasn't as fast as he was. He came up with a theory that the other Scout most likely drank a can of Bonk! as soon as the battle was announced and was currently burned out. Worst decision ever! "Too slow, man, too slow!"

He ran zig-zags to avoid the BLU Scout's bullets. It was almost like dancing, except in this case it was done to dodge certain and painful humiliation. He was in too good of a mood for THAT to happen anytime soon. Scout grinned and kept running. He felt almost invincible, especially after dodging a few spare bullets fired at him other from BLU classes.

'_Don't be foolish, RED._' a voice rang out. Scout looked around, but couldn't see anyone around addressing him other than the BLU Scout chasing him.

Scout felt lucky he was fast on his feet, as well as with his eyes. During the whole run, his eyes practically scanned the area that surrounded him, keeping a close eye out for the BLU Spy. It was long enough for the Spy to be off the field. He could care less if the Spy was diagnosed with lung cancer. One way or another, the Scout was going to outsmart or, when push came to shove, dominate him during this match! It was practically a guilty pleasure when he imagined the dumbfounded look on the Spy's face when the BLUs lost another battle to RED.

He turned a sharp corner. The BLU Scout was too far behind to notice and continued running forward. Scout couldn't help but chuckle at how cartoony it was, but it was all part of the plan the RED Spy came up with. He felt a little proud since the plan was inspired by yesterday's lucky win. Scout did his best to remain quiet as he waited in the surprisingly empty BLU hallway for the Intel exchange with the RED Spy. He couldn't keep still; his head jerked around at every distant footstep he heard, thinking it was his BLU counterpart, or worse (or better) the BLU Spy.

There was a hiss that he heard behind him. Taking out his shotgun, Scout spun around in time to see his RED teammate appear from a thin red smoke. He silently let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't do that, man! I almost turned ya into French swish cheese!" exclaimed Scout. The Frenchmen let out a throaty chuckle.

"Any problems?" he asked as he eyed the blue briefcase.

"It was too easy," Scout replied, handing it to the taller man. "'dat BLU Scout is so slow. Gotta wonder how he even got hired in 'da first place."

" 'e is distracted, that much I can tell," the Spy said rather quickly. Scout looked at him suspiciously, but shrugged it off when he remembered how the RED Spy was romantically involved with the BLU Scout's mom. Part of him wondered if the BLU Spy was hitting on his own mother. "You can get 'im to focus on you again, oui?"

"Yeah, it'll be easy," nodded Scout as he looked out into the hallway very cautiously.

'_Do not underestimate us, RED_.'

The Scout looked over his shoulder at the RED Spy with an eyebrow raised.

"You say somethin'?" he asked.

"uh...non?" The Spy sounded equally confused as the Scout did. "Why do you ask?"

"I think I'm bein' stalked or something," Scout admitted. "I keep hearin' dis guy's voice everywhere I go."

"Could be the BLU Spy," the RED Spy stated in a rather teasing tone. The Scout growled while Spy merely chucked. "Would you like me to take him out for yo-"

"No!" The Scout answered immediately. RED Spy looked at him in disbelief. "Dat BLU Spy is mine! He humiliated me for da' last time! I'm gonna be the one who's gonna kill him, got it?" His teammate smiled very softly and shook his head, trying to hold back yet another chuckle.

'_Such passion. You never struck me as a romantic one_.'

"Dude! I ain't gay!" Scout snapped, the Spy flinched.

"I didn't say anything." That was the Spy's cue to leave, the intel briefcase in hand and a cynical look on the Frenchmen's face as he stepped past the Bostonian and into the hallway. "You should probably talk to the Medic about...those voices, Scout."

"I_ ain't_ crazy either!" He didn't know if the Spy heard when he took off for the RED base, but the Scout at lease wanted to establish that fact before his own teammate accused him of being crazy.

It was quiet for a bit. Scout paused for a moment, making sure the 'ghost' that was following him wasn't going to screw with his mind some more before returning to the battle.

The BLU Scout was easy to locate, Scout found him still running laps around the BLU base, most likely trying to find him. It was also easy getting his attention.

"Lookin' fer me?" The RED Scout ran off behind him and slapped his counterpart on the back of the head before running off in another direction. He heard the BLU mercenary let out a cry of irritation before hearing fast-paced footsteps catching up behind him.

Without carrying the intel, the Scout noticed that he was running at a much faster pace than yesterday. When the BLU Scout fell behind, he purposely slowed down to avoid the other Scout figuring out he was a decoy. As long as the BLU Scout was focused on getting even with him, everything was going as planned.

The Scout wished he slipped the RED Spy his can of Bonk! just to give his teammate a boost. The faster the Spy got the intel into their own intelligence room, the faster he could stop playing the weakest link with his counterpart. Part of him also wondered why the RED Spy didn't want him to just kill the BLU Scout, but the Frenchmen was very strict about that when he went over his plan. As long as it earned them another win, Scout wasn't going to complain about it. He did find it a bit suspicious though.

During this time, however, the Scout wasn't aware that his wandering mind got in a daze. He forgot about the other Scout that was behind him. The RED Scout's own little 'cool down' allowed the BLU member to catch up with him

'_Right behind you_.'

"Huh?"

He was nearing the bridge when he was suddenly tackled to the ground by the other Scout. "_Shit, I jinxed it."_

"Yer gettin' sloppy, dude!" The BLU Scout said using one hand to pin the Scout's head against the ground. "Now hand it over!"

"Forget yer glasses at home, chucklehead?" Scout spat some dirt out his mouth. "I don't have it!" The BLU Scout was speechless for a second before stuttering a bit and looking around nervously.

"But-but I saw you run out of our Intel Room! You've gotta have it! Why else would yo-" A loud bell rung out.

"YOU'VE FAILED! THE ENEMY HAS SECURED OUR INTELLEGENCE!"

"Music to my ears," Scout purred rather dryly. Scout could feel the BLU Scout shaking with anger.

"You...you were a decoy? Then who-?"

"Probably the RED Spy," Scout answered immediately, sounding pretty content. "Y'know, the one nailin' yer hot mom?"

"SHUT UP!" hissed the other Scout, digging his fingers into the Scout's hat and slamming his head into the ground again.

"That's a healthy response," The Scout wheezed. "ouch.."

He heard someone nearby laugh. He tried to move his head to see who it was , but the BLU's Scout's grip on him prevented him from doing so. He assumed it was the Sniper.

Scout sniffed a little and noticed that his nose was bleeding due to the unnecessary violence from his counterpart.

"Ok, 'dis has been fun, but seriously GET THE HELL OFF ME!" He tightened his free hand into a fist and slammed his elbow into the other Scout's mouth. The BLU Scout let out a cry of pain as he fell to the side from the impact. It was almost pathetic watching his double curl up into a sniffling ball, using both hands to cover his most likely swollen and bleeding lip.

'_Clever move_.'

Scout jumped to his feet, quickly looking around to see who had said that, but saw no one else other than the other Scout, who was recovering from the blow and shamefully picking himself up off the ground.

"You makin' fun of me now?" Scout demanded. The other Scout only narrowed his eyes and began walking away from him.

"Ye-yer crazy, man!" he hissed. "Freakin' crazy!"

"_I'm not crazy_," Scout thought to himself. He raised an eyebrow and remained silent as he watched the BLU Scout walk back into the BLU base. " _Am I_?"

"Oi!" He looked over his shoulder and saw the Sniper on the other side of the bridge, waving to him. "Ya ain't plannin' on goin' AWOL on us, eh?"

"I'm commin', just hold yer horses!" The Scout sprinted across the bridge to join the Sniper on the RED's side.

'_That's right, return to your base_.'

His wrinkled his nose with annoyance as he looked over his shoulder back at the BLU base.

"What's wrong, mate?" asked the Sniper. Scout debated whether he should tell Sniper or not. He let out a sigh and looked the Sniper in the eyes.

"I keep hearin' things," he admitted. The sharpshooter flinched slightly, looking quite skeptical.

"Things?" he repeated.

"Yeah, THINGS," Scout repeated again, very sarcastically.

"Really? I didn't hear anything."

I began hearin' 'em when I was near 'da bridge." Scout pointed to the bridge. "Even a few times in da BLU base." It was hard for the Sniper not to hold back a chuckle.

"Maybe the bridge is haunted!" He burst out laughing, which only annoyed the Scout more.

"I'm being frikkin' serious here, man! Something is out there!"

"Like what? None of them BLUs have the gall to attack us after cease-fire. It's against the rules anyhow," Sniper replied, rather harshly. "Now quite kiddin' around an' tell me what's the bloody problem!"

"And all this time I thought you wanted to be my friend," Scout let out an irritated rumble. "Screw you, man! I'm hittin' the showers." He gave Sniper a rough shove before walking into the RED Base. The older man only smiled and adjusted his hat.

"That's gotta be the first time I laughed since I got here," Sniper said right behind him. "Feels good to laugh again."

"You suck, man, you seriously do!"

-_Later that Evening_-

The lights burned from within the RED building, almost imitating a campfire at a distance. It was a very peaceful time of the evening, almost calming, unaware that there could be a battle early in the morning that could disrupt this peace. Now was not the case; it was a time for rest for both RED and BLU. While it was warm inside the buildings, outside was bitter cold, a light breeze flowing between the two industries.

Near the canals, a lone figure stood near the corner of the wooden bridge that faced the RED building. His gazed focused on the building with deep interest. There was not much to be said. He didn't have anyone to talk to – no associates, no assistants, nothing; just himself. He took in a deep breath before he walked into the RED building with a light smile on his face.


	4. Loss of Sanity

**Chapter 4** - _Loss of Sanity_

"I can't believe your plan worked," Scout said to the RED Spy as the suave man exited the shower room, smelling fresh and in a clean red suit. "The BLU Scout was really pissed about it."

"Was there really any doubt?" the Spy snorted, pausing at the door as the Scout walked up to his own locker.

"Guess not. At least we won," Scout admitted. The Frenchman did a light bow before leaving the shower room.

"We were lucky!" the Medic chirped as he removed his rubber gloves, hoping to shower himself.

"Dah!" the Heavy agreed. "We did good!"

The Sniper stood next to the Scout. He looked at the runner as he removed his vest.

"You gonna tell 'im?" he asked. Scout didn't say a word. "Y'know...'bout them voices?"

"It's not important," Scout whispered.

"If you don't, I will." Scout glared at the taller man.

"Don't you dare!" he hissed. Sniper only shook his head with a smile and continued undressing. Scout kept his eyes on the Sniper as he stripped off his red shirt. The Medic peeked over at the Sniper.

"Tell us vhat?" he questioned.

"NOTHING HAPPENED!" shouted the Scout. "S-Seriously, it ain't worth mentioning."

"Oh." The German doctor sounded disappointed. "Zhat's understandable."

Scout let out a relieved sigh and stripped off the rest of his clothes and quickly rushed to the nearest open shower stall. He turned on the shower head and let out a silent gasp as the hot water splashed over him. One little necessity he never missed: the opportunity to clean himself. The Sniper took the stall next to him as the Scout grabbed the only bar of soap and began washing his chest.

The Heavy and Medic weren't far behind as the last two open stalls were taken. The shower room was silent for a while, aside from the water that splashed onto the floor and the Heavy who immediately broke into song as soon as the water was turned on. Without soap, all the Sniper could do was massage the water on his skin, at least washing some of the sweat off of his body. Scout closed his eyes and let out a light hum as he continued to hog the soap.

"_Mmm, not a bad view_." Scout's eyes shot open as he glared at the Sniper.

"You f*ckin' pervert!" he shouted as he punched the man in the arm.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you, mate?" demanded the Sniper. He winced as the Scout threw another punch at him.

"I ain't your f*ckin' 'mate' either!"

"Stop it! That hurts!"

The Heavy and Medic came to Sniper's rescue, the Heavy pulling the Scout away from the Sniper and the Medic acting like a human shield for the Sniper.

"What iz zhe matter, Herr Scout?" asked the Medic.

"Freakin' pervert was eyeballin' me!" the Scout hissed.

"No I wasn't!" protested the Australian.

"LIAR! I bet if you two weren't here he would've-"

"Scout," Medic interrupted. "Could it be zhat he was going to ask you for zhe soap?"

"Yeah, probably waiting for me to drop it so he could-"

"Scout!" Defeated, Scout huffed angrily and looked at the Medic. "Rinse off, get dressed, and move on."

Heavy slowly released the Scout's arms as the Medic pushed the younger man into his stall and took over the Scout's original shower stall, hoping it would help avoid another fight. Sniper remained quiet, still a bit confused and worried at the same time. The Medic's expression during the whole time screamed 'i_shame on you, Scout/i'_. Scout was still angry. He quickly rinsed off the remaining soap that was on his body and rushed for the nearest available towel. He wrapped the rather scratchy material around his waist and left the room, mumbling to himself.

"Vhat has gotten into zhat boy?" the Medic whispered to himself.

He stormed down the hallway and past the other classes who either making their way to their room or to the kitchen. A few raised an eyebrow at the Scout's choice of walking around the base with just a towel, but none questioned it. The Scout's glare alone said "_It's none of your damn business_".

It was hard to tell if he was angry or embarrassed. Mostly, it was anger. He trusted the Sniper, so why would the man suddenly invade his personal space like that? Sure, it was with his eyes, but still, that was harassment. When Scout reached his own room, he quickly opened the door and slammed it closed with all of his might as soon as he was in.

"HEY! Do you want to know how many men died to make that door, Maggot? A LOT! So respect the door and respect those who died making it!" yelled the Soldier.

Scout said nothing. He only leaned against the door and sighed. All the pent up anger went into slamming the door. He didn't have any more anger to release.

"Thank you, Door," he whispered.

He looked down at his bare feet and realized the towel wrapped around his bony hips was the only thing keeping him from being completely naked. He pushed himself off of the door and walked across the room to his dresser to get some fresh clothes.

By the time Scout was out of his room, it was later in the night. His teammates were still up and enjoying what was left of dinner. It was meatloaf night, courtesy of the Engineer. Scout got a few skeptical glances from a few of the men in the room, except from the Demoman, who was passed out drunk on the table.

"Heard about yer fight with the Sniper," the Engineer started. Scout let out an annoyed groan. "Don' worry about it. Probably a misunderstanding. Ya hungry? I turned the leftover meatloaf into meatloaf sandwiches."

"Sandvitch!" the Heavy announced from across the room, holding up his food victoriously.

"Sure, that sounds good," the Scout shrugged as he walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a can of "Bonk!". The Texan handed the Scout a plate with a meatloaf sandwich that was cut down the middle into two equal slices and accompanied with a blob of mash potatoes topped off with gravy and a small spoonful of peas.

"Thanks for the heart attack on a plate, hardhat," Scout said as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Behave yourself now," Engineer said softly.

Since the table was occupied by a drunk Demoman, Scout walked into what would act as a living room for the RED team. It was a simple layout: soft faded carpet, a small television equipped with a VCR (it barely got any good reception), a torn leather couch and several fake Fichus plants that were perched in each corner of the room. On the north side of the room was a clear sliding door that had an observation deck which looked out towards the horizon near the BLU base. Several referred to the room as their "relaxation center" – actually, the Soldier called it that, and he demanded that it was to be addressed as such.

The Pyro and Heavy already occupied the couch as the Soldier was wrestling with the television's antenna, hopefully trying to get a better reception than the white static they were already receiving from the TV itself.

"Find good sitcom channel," said the Heavy. "Laughter helps digest food better."

"Nuuu," The Pyro protested. "Mmph mphna mprhrn."

"News station is BORING!" the Heavy bellowed.

Scout looked around. He assumed the Spy was his room and the Medic in the medical bay. He was more concerned about the whereabouts of the Sniper. While he still felt a bit betrayed about what happened in the shower room, keeping a careful mind of where he was at was probably a good idea.

"Hey!" he started, eyeing the three men in the living room. "Where's the Sniper?"

"Infirmary," the Soldier answered almost immediately as he continued adjusting the antenna on the small TV. "Medic said something about...bruising on the man's arms." The Bostonian looked down at his plate, suddenly feeling slightly guilty. "Was it true what the Sniper did?"

"What?" Scout looked at the Soldier, who has stopped fiddling with the antenna and faced the young man. The Heavy let out a groggy gasp and jumped to his feet.

"Medic said not to talk about it!" he announced. "No more discussion!"

"Hmph! Whatever!" huffed the Soldier, returning to his attempt to fix the TV. "This is why I shower by myself," he whispered.

Part of Scout wanted to thank the Heavy for dropping the subject; the last thing he wanted on his mind before eating was being naked again and seeing the Sniper standing near him and staring at his body with eager eyes. Scout shivered at the thought, his eyes widening for a moment before snapping back to reality.

"Little Scout ok?" the Heavy asked.

"Yeah," he lied. "I'm fine."

At the moment, Scout realized he wanted to be alone. Since the Solider banned him from eating in his own room due to an unfortunate ant invasion, his only option was to eat out on the veranda. That didn't bother him; it'd be quiet and the Heavy wouldn't bother him with the usual "Is tiny Scout gonna eat that?" question.

Scout remained quiet as he moved across the room. The Soldier cursed out loud at he finally smacked the side of the television with his fist, the white static finally disappearing as a black and white picture show finally flickered on.

"There we go!" he announced proudly. "Now we're cookin'!"

"Is rerun." Heavy groaned.

The last thing the Scout heard before closing the glass door was the Soldier screaming loudly and chucking the little television across the room.

Scout sat down in the corner of the veranda, leaning against the wall near the glass door for support. He set his plate down by his side and picked up one piece of his sandwich and bit hungrily into it. The first bite made him realize he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Come to think of it, he didn't have breakfast! He was too eager for the RED team to earn another victory. He earned his money today.

It suddenly hit Scout that that much have been the reason to the voices he was hearing early that afternoon. Was it possible hunger made people hear voices? Why not? Heat and thirst made people see mirages. Maybe hunger worked in similar ways?

"_Never making that mistake again_," he thought to himself as he finished off the first piece of his sandwich, licking off the residue of the meat from his fingers.

He grabbed his can on "Bonk!" and opened it idly as his eyes strayed to the landscape that lay before him. It never occurred to him how much the battlefield of 2Fort was damaged from the day's fight. Craters formed in random areas, most likely from the Soldier's misaligned aiming with his missile launcher or any of the Demoman's bombs. Even the buildings themselves suffered from the damage of gunfire or a missed swing from a melee weapon. Scout didn't even want to know how much it was going to cost to repair the damage to the RED base. Then again, as long it wasn't from his own pocket, he could care less.

A cool wind blew against his skin as he took a small sip from his "Bonk!". Scout wasn't much for respecting vacant land – he did grow up in the city after all. However, there was just something in the back of the Scout's mind that made him admit that if a battle never took place on 2Fort, the area would've been beautiful. Scout could feel himself smiling, and he let out an amused sigh.

"Yer going soft, man," he whispered to himself. "Loosin' yer badass image." He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and exhaling just as deeply.

"That meal you have looks quite good," a man's voice commented. "May I ...have a bite?" Scout let out an irritated groan. He knew who it was: the RED Spy.

"Get yer own damn food, Spy!" He turned his head to face his team mate. "This is …" No one was there. "…mine?" He looked around. "Dude? Are you, like, cloaked er somethin'?"

"Look down here, boy," commanded the voice.

"Shit, am I still hearing things?" He was hesitant at first, but his gaze scrolled down to his side where he had his plate set. He still didn't see anything; just his plate with the remaining half of his meatloaf sandwich and the untouched mash potatoes with the peas next to it. Of course, his attention then focused on the tiny little critter that stood across from the plate.

A small, round crab.

Scout had seen many crabs around 2Fort before. There was a nest of crabs in the canal. Every now and then, one would find its way on the field, ultimately being blasted to pieced by a bomb or stepped on by a BLU or RED class. This crab was different though. While the other crabs around 2fort were a healthy red color, this one was a sickly blue color all over. Scout noted how there were a few flesh colored patches on the front of the crab, almost like it was wearing a mask. He raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Hmm, where'd you come from little fella?" he asked the crab. He felt silly for even speaking to the crab, but it was the first question that popped into his head. "Little far from home, aren't ya?" The crab looked like it shrugged.

" I could say the same about you, boy," it replied.

"AH SHIT!" The Scout jumped to his feet, dropping his "Bonk!" from his hands and sliding into the opposite corner of the deck. "WH-WH-WH-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SHIT? Y-YOU **DID** NOT JUST TALK TO ME! NO WAY!"

"Scout, please." The crab sounded calm, almost like it was expecting Scout to react the way he did. "Just...calm down now."

"Shit, you are talkin' to me!" Scout's eyes couldn't get any wider than they already were. "I..I must be dreamin'. Yeah, I'm totally dreaming."

"Would you like me to pinch you to find out?" The crab snapped his claws a few times with a rather smug smile on its face. "I would more than gladly lend you a hand with that."

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" the young man screamed, reaching for his plate and throwing it at the crab. It missed and shattered against the wall.

"Boy! Please be reasonable here! Just take a few quick breaths and calm down," begged the crab. "I need to discuss something with you."

"SHUT UP! YER **NOT** REAL!"

The glass door flew open and the Soldier walked out onto the deck, glaring at the Scout in disbelief.

"What is going on here?" he demanded. The Soldier glanced around, noting the Scout huddled in the corner of the railing while a small crab was perched near a pile of ceramic shards of a dinner plate with food scattered on the wooden floor and a few feet up the side of the wall as well. It was a very pathetic sight. "Do I even want to know?" The American's voice sounded slightly disappointed.

"That crab…" Scout jerked his arm forward, pointing an accusing finger at the crab. "…is f*ckin' talking to me, man!"

"Really now," scoffed the crab. "You say that as if it's a bad thing."

"Please tell me you just heard that!" Scout looked up at the Soldier with pleading eyes. Soldier said nothing. He turned his head to the Scout and then to the crab. He tapped his chin as if thinking hard about the whole situation.

"DUDE!" Scout's voice slightly cracked.

"Oh! I get it now!" Soldier let out a chuckle, turning his attention to the crab. "It spoke to you, eh?"

"Yeah!" He let out a relieved sigh, finally knowing someone was believing him.

"Yeah, yeah, I can totally see what you're talking about now." The Soldier nodded rapidly.

"Seriously?"

"Crab dinner!" announced the Soldier. Scout felt dead inside.

"...What?"

"It's PERFECT! Next month, we'll be capturing the control points instead of Inte!" rambled the Soldier. "When we get a perfect score for those, we're celebrating with a crab dinner!"

"Dude, that's not what I was ta-"

"You deserve a medal, Little Man!" The Soldier slapped Scout on the back before turning back into the base. "Engie! Construct a fishing mechanism! We're huntin' crabs next month!"

Scout didn't know how to react. He was surrounded by idiots! He stood still, almost on the brink of tears. No one was listening to him. Was this just a hallucination? Was the crab seriously there, but not talking? Its voice; was it in his head? Was he truly going crazy? But why?

"This…is…not…happening," He hissed. The crab slowly tapped across the wooden floor up to Scout's shoe. It looked up at him with a calm expression.

"Your solider is no different than our own," it commented.

"'our own'?" Scout repeated.

"I suppose I can tell you now that you have calmed down." Scout didn't move. He remained still as he continued to breathe in through his mouth. "Long story short..." The crab cleared its throat...if...crabs had throats. "...I am the BLU Spy."

There was no answer. Scout kept his eyes on the small crab, beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.

"No..." Scout whispered.

"It is hard to believe, yes, but I speak the truth to you, young RED," The Spy...Crab said. "I'm sure you have noticed my absence from the BLU team many times, oui?"

"No..." repeated the Scout, the tone of belief remained on the single word spoken.

"While I cannot tell how it happened, I am cursed," the crab continued, "and I am convinced you're the only right now who can help me. "

His hands were shaking. Scout was convinced the world around him was falling apart. Finally, he looked at the blue colored crab, still saying nothing.

" You..._can_ hear me, oui?"

"The BLU Spy?" Scout swallowed hard.

"That's correct." A slight pause. Scout finally clenched his hands into fists.

"I don't believe you," he replied. The crab let out a minor grunt.

"What proof do you need, boy? I am here, aren't I?"

"STOP TALKING TO ME!" shouted the young man. "JUST SHUT UP!"

"Scout?" It was the Medic's voice that rang out. Scout immediately glared at the doctor who stood at the door way. "Vhat is wrong? Why are you yelling?"

"Why?" Scout repeated, letting out a sarcastic laugh. "Can't ya hear him?" Medic took a cautious step forward.

"Hear who?" Another laugh.

"Oh, you are gonna LOVE 'dis one, Medic." Scout shook his head. "Get this: The BLU Spy was turned into a crab and he's right here." He gestured towards the crab. The Medic looked at it and then back at the Scout. "And he says 'dat I'm da only one who could save him! Can you believe that?"

"Zee crab told you zhis?"

"Weren't you listening? God you suck at that! I told you the crab was- AUGH!"

The Medic was fast, grabbing the Scout's arm with one hand and jabbing a syringe into his neck with another, injecting the fluid in one swift motion. Scout found it very hard to stand. His legs buckled underneath him as he fell into the Medic, his vision slowly becoming very blurry.

"I'm sorry, Herr Scout," the Medic said very softly as the Scout struggled to keep conscious. "Zhis is for your own good."

"I'm...not...crazy," Scout groaned before he fell into a deep, deep sleep.


	5. Meet the Spycrab

**Chapter 5** - _Meet the Spycrab_.

Scout let out a groggy moan as he opened his eyes, only to be blinded by the fluorescent lights of the medical bay. The side of his neck ached from the needle the Medic injected him with and his head throbbed with a splitting headache. He tried sitting up, but he ached all over and just let himself fall back into the bed.

"What the heeeeell?" he groaned loudly, rubbing his temple to relive the headache.

"Oh!" It the Medic who responded, appearing momentarily by his bedside. "You are awake. How are you feelink?"

"What the hell did you do to me, doc?" demanded the Scout as he turned his head to face the older man. The Medic didn't reply immediately; he was almost hesitant. He tried to speak, but would stop, almost like he was trying to find the right words.

"Exhaustion!" he announced. "You have exhausted your body and mind, Herr Scout. Most likely zee cause for your hallucinations."

" 'm not crazy," huffed Scout.

"Not crazy; just exhausted." Medic took out a clipboard and started jotting something on paper.

"What gave it away? Me talkin' to a crab?" Scout asked sarcastically.

"Actually," began the Medic as he looked up from his clipboard. "Zhe Spy told me before Heavy and I entered zhe shower room. He said you were hearing voices during zhe intel exchange." He paused. "Zhat...and you attacked Sniper."

"He was _eyeballin_' me, man!" the young runner snapped defensively. "You were there! You saw him, right?"

"Nein, I vas minding mein own business vhen in the shower," replied the German sternly as he used his free hand to push Scout back down onto the mattress. The young man groaned as he draped his right arm over his eyes to block out the fluorescent lights above him. "What were you thinking? Honestly." Scout lifted his arm slightly and watched the Medic write. He shot the man a suspicious glare.

"What are you writing?"

"Mien diagnosis," answered the German, not looking up from writing. "Three days of bed rest. Drink water and NOT zhat 'Bonk!' you drink most of zhe time. You vill take some medicine before you sleep at night, and-" He paused, setting his pencil down on the counter near the medical bed. "- you are suspended from battle until I feel zhat you are well." Scout jolted up into a sitting position.

"Suspended? Doc! Dats not fair!"

"You have been hearnink voices, attacked Sniper under false allegations and you were convinced zhe BLU Spy haz been transformed into a crab," the Medic pointed out. "Does zhat sound healthy, Scout?" The boy let out a heavy breath and slouched his shoulders in defeat. He groaned again and leaned backwards, falling back into the mattress.

"This is so unfair."

"I vill let you rest now," the Medic said softly, take a few steps away from the occupied bed. "You may leave for your room vhen you are strong enough."

With no other choice, Scout nuzzled into his bed, closing his eyes and listening to the Medic's footsteps grow fainter as he exited the medical bay, shutting off the lights before he left.

- _Minutes later_-

"Tiny Scout?" It was the Heavy's voice. "Leetle Tiny Scout?" Although the Heavy was trying his best to keep his voice down, it was still powerful enough to ring in the runner's ears. Scout frowned as he woke up slowly.

"I was sleepin', man," he yawned as he sat up.

"Da, I'm sorry. Won't take long. I have 'get-well' present for you," whispered the Heavy, trying to remain quiet for unknown reasons, probably to avoid getting in trouble with the Medic.

"I ain't sick, man, just need sleep 'n shit."

"Ta-Da." The large Russian held up a small sized aquarium tank not occupied by fish, but decorated with rocks from the canal and a small water dish to provide a rather sad living arrangement for a certain blue colored crab. Scout felt his heart sink. He knew the Heavy meant well, but he honestly never wanted to see that crab again. It was the reason he was on suspension from battle!

"Is that..?"

"Da! Is crab you yelled at last evening," nodded the Heavy. "Maybe you and crab get on wrong foot. Perhaps become friends?" The Bostonian kept his eyes on the crab in the tank. The crab did the same. It was practically a staring contest.

"Did…uh…Did that crab talk to you at all?" Scout asked, finally taking his eyes off the little coruscation and up at the Heavy. Heavy raised an eyebrow.

"Nyet," he answered. "Crab was quiet. Easy to catch too." Scout forced himself to smile. He didn't want to upset the Heavy ; the man was huge, but he had the heart of a child and the emotions of one as well.

"Thanks, man. Ya didn't have to, though."

"Tiny Scout needed cheering up," Heavy said simply, turning to place the tank on the counter. "I better leave. Medic might get angry."

"Yeah, see ya around," agreed Scout.

As soon at the Heavy was gone, Scout immediately shot a glare at the crab, who flinched at the Scout's quick movement. Nothing was said for a while. It was almost like the Scout was daring the crab to say something. The boy narrowed his eyes.

"What?" the crab finally spoke up. "Are you expecting me to dance or something?"

"Dammit!" hissed Scout. "I thought for sure all that shit was all just a dream."

"I'm afraid not," the crab sighed. "This is all real, boy."

"Yer seriously...the BLU Spy?" The crab answered with a slight nod. Scout let out a whimpering cry as he pulled his legs up to his chest and laid his head down, almost shamefully. "Why me?" he cried.

"You know," began the Spy...er...crab. "All this could just go away...if you help me out." Just go away? Was it really that easy? Scout raised his head slowly, his eyes slightly red, possibly from crying. It was against his nature to cry, but when everyone thinks you've gone crazy and were being haunted by a talking crab, you'd cry too. "It's quite easy as well," continued the Spycrab. "All you have to do…" he paused for a dramatic effect. The Scout uncurled and crawled forward near the aquarium to get an answer. "…is kiss me."

"WHAO!" Scout leaned back on his rear, holding up his hands in front of him. "D-D-Did you just _say_ what I think you said? OH MY GOD! Are you frikkin' CRAZY?"

"I don't see what's so bad about it; it's just a simple kiss, nothing more."

"Do I **look **gay to you, man?" He was slowly become hysterical. "I'm **not** gay! I'm freakin' straight! Meanin' I kiss girls, **not** dudes!" The Spycrab placed one of his claws against his face. If he had hands and was a human, he would probably be covering his face with his hand at how unreasonable the young man was being.

"RED, would you please…"

"Why me?" Scout demanded, jabbing his finger against the tank. "Why does it specially have to be me?" He was answered with a groan. The Spycrab in the little aquarium shook his claws with frustration. Or...was it embarrassment? Scout held still, suddenly curious.

"I will ask you a question," began the Spycrab, "and I hope that you will answer it truthfully."

"Fine!" spat the Scout. The Spycrab look Scout in the eyes.

"I know I have teased you in the past about it, but, RED?" It was almost like a father was addressing a guilty child. "Are you a virgin?" Scout couldn't help himself; he snorted a bit before throwing his head back and burst out laughing. The Spycrab let out a groan as the Scout held his stomach and fell on his side, still laughing as tears began to stream down his face. It was the most irritating laugh the Spycrab had ever heard. When he was still a human, he had heard his own BLU Scout laugh from time to time, but never this long or this annoyingly. He didn't understand what was so funny about it either; it was a simple yes-or-no question.

"Are you freakin' serious?" the Scout managed to say by the time he finally calmed down. "No- no way, man, I ain't no virgin."

"You are lying," accused the Spycrab. The Scout's mood changed immediately from utterly drained of energy from laughing to serious and angry. His expression read 'How do you know?'

"When I was cursed with this form, my first stop was at my own base," The Spycrab began. "At first I began cheering for my own team at first, because I arrived at the Builders League United in the middle of battle. I wanted to be of some help, you see?" Scout didn't respond. "When your team won, I tried calling out to my teammates. None of them heard me or noticed me. And then...I heard _you_."

"Me?"

"Oui. You were talking with your Sniper about hearing a voice." He paused. "_My_ voice." Scout turned away, not wanting to admit that was exactly what happened. "You being able to hear me got me thinking," continued the Spycrab. "This little situation I'm in is rather similar to a fairytale my mother use to read me as a child. I'm sure your mother read you the same story." Again, Scout didn't answer. "Does 'the Frog Prince' ring a bell?"

"You ain't a frog!" the Scout finally spoke up. "I mean, yeah, sure, yer a Frenchie, but yer a crab!"

"But you do admit, the situation is similar, correct?" Scout was hesitant to agree with him.

"Yyyyyeah, kind of. Hold on! How'd you get cursed anyhow?"

"I...cannot tell you. It would be a breach of contract to explain anything to a RED."

"That's a dumb excuse."

"Anyway, in the story, the prince's curse was broken when the princess kissed him…"

"Are you callin' me a princess now?" snapped the Scout.

"HUSH! Just listen to what I have to say!" the Spycrab hissed. Scout huffed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "In every fairytale stories with princesses, the princess is always perceived as being innocent and pure – in short, young and a virgin!"

"I ain't a princess though," Scout pouted. A smile finally appeared on the Spycrab's face.

"You can hear me though, and probably the only who can. That is evidence enough that you are a virgin" Scout let out a defeated whimper.

"I still ain't gonna kiss you. I ain't a fag!"

"Nor am I," replied the Spycrab. "But I'll have you know, Scout, if you were in my situation, I would help you."

"No you _wouldn't_." The Spy knew Scout was right. "You're a BLU; you would kill me on the spot before I could even ask you for your help!"

"Then..." The crab was lost for words. "…explain why you are keeping me alive?" The Spycrab regretted saying that out loud. He cringed as the Scout pushed himself off the bed and walked up to the tank.

"Good question," he remarked. "'dis is prolly the _only_ opportunity I'm gonna get for all those times you killed me on the field."

Scout found his satchel and weapons near the bed. He was surprised the Medic didn't confiscate them. Maybe he forgot? The Sniper's voice rang in his head: "_A blessing in disguise_." A blessing indeed.

Scout opened his satchel and pulled out his small handgun; he rarely used it, but it was fully loaded and wouldn't create as big of a mess as his bat or scattergun. The Spycrab knew it would be pointless to convince the Scout not to kill him; he could see the hate and bloodlust in the boy's eyes, but he wasn't going to cooperate so easily. He immediately began shuffling around the small tank as the Scout opened the aquarium's lip and reached inside to grab the cursed BLU Spy. Spy found it was pointless to run from the greedy hands of a class who was born for fast movements. He was caught almost immediately.

"Mon dieu." The man whimpered as the Scout held him against the cold plastic covering of the medical counter and held the end of his handgun against his hard cranium. It was like shooting fish in a barrel for the Scout. Spy tightly shut his eyes as he waited to hear the gunshot. Hopefully it would be painless. He never though he would be scared of death before; he considered himself to be a smooth and handsome man before his unfortunate curse and was now going to be die as a clumsy and rather ugly crab. Was this karma?

He heard a click, but there was no gunshot. Spy opened his eyes and saw he was still alive and unharmed. Was the Scout out of bullets?

"It's not the same," Scout sighed. Scout picked up the Spycrab and dropped him back into the aquarium, not bothering to put the lid back on and slunk back to his bed.

"I...don't understand," The Spycrab said. The young man flopped down on the mattress and pulled the thin bed sheet over himself with a heavy sigh.

"If I'm gonna kill ya," he began, "I want ya to be human. It's not da same when yer a crab."

"I see." Spy understood what Scout was getting at. He wanted the fight to be fair; it was too easily to kill him now as a crab. He couldn't help but swallow hard at the thought of how close he came to actually being killed by the boy. "Thank you… Scout."

" Shut up!" Scout said. "I didn't do it for you!" Spy nodded.

"You know, Scout, if you kiss me now, you could easily kill me in human form."

"I told you: I'm ain't kissin' you! I'm not gay!" Scout snapped. "And I hate you!"

"I know."


	6. Parasite

**Chapter 6** - _Parasite (Alternate name: A Crab-Boomerang)_

The Bostonian already regretted not killing the supposedly cursed BLU Spy. Despite his out of character notion to NOT kill him, the little crab repaid the RED mercenary by talking non-stop throughout the night.

"I understand your insecurities about kissing a man, but at the moment I am not a man; I am a crab," he began. "Kissing a crab isn't –as you so colorfully described it – gay." Scout didn't respond. With his back turned to the aquarium, he tried to ignore the heavily-accented voice and focused on getting some sleep. "Then again, when you think about it...kissing a crab would be unethical, but you do have to agree, it's not gay, oui?"

"I'm _tryin'_ to sleep!" Scout snapped.

"And I am _trying_ to become human again," retorted the Spycrab, using the same tone the Scout used against him. "As long as I believe you are the only who can lift zhis curse, I will haunt you like a ghost. This I promise."

"Is that supposed to scare me? Yer a crab! What the hell can you possibly do about it? Pinch me? Ooh, 'dats _really_ scary." At first, Scout found it hard to believe he was talking to the BLU Spy. It was hard to hide his disappointment, although he would never admit it.

The Spy was quiet. The realization of how powerless he was began to set in. Scout smiled smugly to himself as he snuggled into his pillow and sighed contently.

"Still," the former Frenchmen began suddenly as Scout's bloodshot eyes flew open. "Kissing a crab isn't gay." Scout let out a frustrated yell, suddenly sitting up in his bed, his face showing signs of lack of sleep.

"Let me clear somethin' up, _pally_," he hissed, digging his fingers into the blankets. "I **DON'T** care that yer cursed and I will **NEVER** help you! So don't get cozy 'cuz I'm throwin' ya out in the morning!"

"What am I? A dog?" the Spy snapped, slamming his claws against the glass. "You can't just throw me out in the state that I'm in!"

"And why not? You've already ruined my life!"

"Have I?"

"Both as a human and as a crab!" Scout heard the Spycrab let out a heavy sigh. It was dark in the infirmary, but since he and the Spy were the only ones in there, he figured it was the crab – unless he was hearing voices again, from _another_ creature.

"You are exaggerating," the Spycrab said, sounding very calm, but it was easy to sense the irritation in his voice.

"Am I?" snarled Scout. "_You're_ the reason my team keeps loosin'. We were on a complete winning streak still you showed up."

"Actually, I've been on the field longer than you have," the Spy corrected. Scout groaned.

"That's not the point! An' quite interrupting!"

"Fine."

"Ok, so you ruined our perfect winning streak," Scout whispered to himself before he let out a loud sudden "OH!" This made the Spycrab jump. "You've also been makin' me look like a wimp out there! Every day you keep killin' **me** and only me! What's up with that? Do you have any idea what everyone's been sayin' about me? They think I'm worthless!" He paused. "AND crazy, 'cuz of you!"

"You don't have to yell."

"Well, I'm pissed! I have every right to yell! Seriously, do you have some kind of grudge against me or somethin'?" The Spy immediately turned away from the Scout.

"I'm not obligated to answer that."

"You have an excuse for **everything**, don't ya?" Scout narrowed his eyes as the Spy made another shrugging gesture. He let out a whimpering sigh as he limply fell back against the mattress and covered his face with his hands. "How long are you gonna keep this shit up, man?"

"Until I get what I want," answered the Spycrab. "I want to get on with my life just as much as you do." Scout rolled over on his side. Spy sneered. "You're the only one who can hear me... and possibly the only one who can help me." Spy waited for the Scout to reply. The boy remained quiet, slowly shrugging his shoulders and curling into himself on the mattress. While it was hard to see, due to his small stature, the Spy assumed Scout was covering his ears with his hand to block out the Spy's voice. That was irritating to him. "Scout," He began with an annoyed tone. "Now isn't the time to act like a spoiled little brat!"

Scout only let out a low murmur as he squirmed slightly in bed, only making a sudden movement to grab the bed sheet and pull it over his body. The Spycrab began tapping against the glass of the aquarium with the tip of his claw. He could tell the Scout was already getting annoyed again by this, which was evident by his arms twitching slightly. The Spy continued this for a few more minutes before the Scout let out a scream and sat up.

"That's it!" he announced. "I can't take it anymore!"

"So, you're finally going to listen to me?" The Spy smiled slightly as the Scout pushed himself off the bed.

"No!" The Scout walked across the infirmary till he reached the opposite wall. He groped around on the wall till his fingers brushed against the control switches. Seconds later, the lights flickered on. He was partially thankful the Medic left him in his uniform, or else the whole situation would've been very awkward – then again, he felt weird sleeping in them.

"What are you going to do?" Spy backed up a bit. "Finish what you started?" He watched Scout carefully. The fact that he didn't say anything right away made him nervous. He held his breath as the Scout walked over to him, but instead of walking up to the aquarium, the runner walked over to a nearby window.

"I'm gonna do something I should've done when you arrived here!" Scout grunted as he pushed opened the window.

"Open a window? HEY!" He forgot how lightning fast the Scout was with his movements. The young man had already grabbed a hold of the blue crab and was carrying him over to the open window. The Spy's eyes widened; he knew what the Scout was going to do. "Don't do this, Scout! Think about what you are doing!"

"I know what I'm doin'! I'm gettin' rid of you! You can't kill a guy repeatedly, make him look like an insane nut to his team and EXPECT him to _just_ help you!" Scout was angry, but BLU Spy couldn't blame him though.

"H-hold on a minute there, boy!" Spy spoke up, a slight panicked tone in his voice. "I know I haven't been exactly faire to you during our encounters, but...but maybe we can work this out, oui? Perhaps there is something I can do for you? Just name it! What would you like me to do for you?"

"I WANT YOU TO LEAVE ME **ALONE**!" The Scout was beyond angry. The Spy couldn't comprehend if it was a lack of sleep, the medicine, or just irritation. He figured it was a combination of all three. Not good.

Although it was useless, he tried talking the Scout out of throwing him out of the base, but the young man didn't listen. In response, the Scout pulled back his arm and threw the crab as hard as he could out the opened window, letting out a snarling grunt as he did so. He remained quiet as his brows remained furrowed, not moving as he watched the small blue crab fly through the air. Slowly disappearing into the darkness of the night, crying out in fear of where he might land.

Scout stood still, panting in anger as he starred out the window. It took him a while to register what had happened and to become aware of his surroundings. It was quiet; he was alone now. He weakly smiled, letting out a satisfied chuckle. He was alone.

The feel of satisfaction disappeared as quickly as it came when the Scout heard from across the room the familiar sound of tapping. He hesitantly turned his head to see the RED Medic standing at the doorway, arms crossed and tapping his foot with a look of disappointment plastered on his face.

"...Hi, doc..." Scout muttered, grinning sheepishly.

***

The Spy secretly thanked whoever was up there for making the RED Scout bad at aiming, having been thrown into the canal instead of landing on the hard earth. Being a crab had its benefits; he was able to breathe underwater. He cursed to himself as he scuttled through the freezing water, semi-walking on the muddy floor of the canal and semi-swimming through the water. It seemed like forever before he finally made it to the edge of the riverbed. Again, he cursed not being tall enough to reach up and pull himself on the flat land. He was stuck.

"_Merde_!"

Without a plan, the Spycrab treaded water to keep himself on the surface. He hoped by some chance he could find another way to get out of the canal and back to his mission. He growled as he slapped the water with his large claw, irritated by how stubborn the RED Scout was. The Scout was nothing more than an immature, spoiled brat. Despite his anger towards the RED mercenary, it quickly faded away when a question popped into his head. "What's going to happen to me?"

Things were not looking good for him. While his mind remained unchanged, his body was cursed to take the form of a round, uncoordinated crab. He hated his new body. He hated the fact that his new body made him useless; Useless as a person, useless as a spy.

The Spycrab was about to give up everything when he heard voices from a distance. Although he couldn't see them, he could tell who they were by their voices. One being the Heavy, the other belonging to the Engineer; both from RED.

"Pretty cold evenin', ain't it?" he faintly heard from the Engineer.

"Da! Is nothing compared to the nights in Motherland!" The Heavy's husky voice was easy to hear. "Is skinny Sniper ok?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine," sighed the Engineer. "Just a little confused n' hurt though. N' some of the fellers are givin' him trouble too, callin' him all sorts of names that I'm too ashamed to say aloud..."

Spy felt his heart pounding against his chest. He frantically clawed at the dirt wall to get a grip on it so he could try to climb it again. No luck. His claws weren't made for climbing; only pinching. "_Damn_."

"Are they bad words?" asked the Heavy.

"_Very_ bad words." the Engineer replied, sounding very serious. "The kind of words that'll even make _you_ cry." The Heavy gasped.

"I will CRUSH any man who dares call me mean words!"

"Monsieur! Monsieur, please!" the Spycrab automatically called out for them, forgetting that no one else but the RED Scout could hear him. Perhaps maybe one of the two grown men, by pure luck, were also virgins. "I need some assistance!" He pounded on the wall frantically.

"Did short Engineer say something?" asked Heavy.

"Hmm? I didn't say anything."

"I heard strange noise..."

The Spycrab could swear he could hear a chorus of angels singing a verse from 'Hallelujah'. Was it the Heavy who heard him? Or the Engineer? Or both?

"Oui! Down here! In the water!" he called out.

"What'd it sound like?

"Like...um..." The Heavy pondered for a moment. "…splashing water."

Spy felt like he died a little inside. Although, since they couldn't hear him talking, they _did_, however, hear him splashing around in the water. He smirked to himself as he began flailing his large claws in the water.

"Oh, now I hear it! Dang, it's annoying."

"Is coming from water."

He sped up his movements as he heard the two men coming closer towards the canal. Within moments, he saw the Heavy and Engineer's head looking down into the water. While it was a bit unsettling seeing the two men starring down at him, the Spy didn't stop with his flailing; it was the only way to get their attention.

"Is leetle crab!" the Heavy announced very cheerfully. The Engineer sneered.

"Sure is an ugly lookin' one." The Spy glared up at the RED Engineer.

"You are lucky I am a crab, Monsieur," the Spycrab grumbled. "But consider yourself a **dead man** once I am free of zhis curse!" The Engineer turned to the Heavy.

"Hey, didn't you give the Scout a crab as a gift?"

"Da!" replied the Heavy, sounding very proud of himself. "Oh! I should catch this one too! Then other leetle crab would have a friend!"

"I don't see why not." The Engineer patted the larger man on the shoulder as he turned to enter his workshop. "Hold on, let me get a net."

***  
The Scout starred up at the ceiling, breathing in heavily and exhaling just as deeply as the Medic administered him another shot of medicine to help him fall asleep.

"I don't know vhat I'm going to do with you," sighed the RED Medic as he tucked the Scout into the hospital bed. "Hearing voices, talking to yourself, lashing out at others, und now...you are screaming at windows." Scout let out a groan.

"You would not believe the shit I went though today, doc," Scout yawned loudly, feeling the effects of the medicine working already.

"One could only imagine," the Medic muttered as he walked around the bed to leave the infirmary. "Sleep vell, herr Scout."

Scout didn't reply. He just wanted everything to be over and done with by the time tomorrow came. He sighed with relief by the time the Medic switched off the lights and could feel his eyelids getting heavier. Without hesitation, he leaned his head back against his pillow and shut his eyes, relaxing.

While still semi-conscious, the Scout began to realize how quiet it was in the infirmary. Without the BLU Spy in his little crab tank, it was almost – although he would never admit it out loud – lonely. At least he had someone to talk to, given it was technically the enemy with the cursed form of a crab. Right, he was the enemy; a BLU mercenary he was hired to kill and nothing more. Scout let out a weak groan as he tapped his forehead with his fist for forgetting, just for a moment, that the Spycrab he threw out the window was a BLU mercenary – his enemy.

He wasn't sure what time it was when he heard the infirmary door creak open and heavy footsteps approach his bed. He was just barely conscious, but he faintly made out in the darkness a rather large, borderline fat figure walking up to the empty aquarium that sat on the counter near him.

"Oh ho, I see what leetle crab did," bellowed the raspy voice of the RED Heavy. "You are not different crab; you are same crab I gave to leetle Scout! You broke out of home, you crafty leetle thing."

Scout wasn't able to say a word; he was fighting to stay awake. The Heavy chuckled as he placed a small, familiar figure into the aquarium and shut the lid back on top of the tank. Turning slightly, the large man whispered something to the Scout in Russian before walking out of the infirmary altogether.

With what energy the Scout had left to keep himself awake, he saw the all-too-familiar-grinning face of the Spycrab smiling smugly at him through the tank's transparent glass. It was almost insulting watching the little crab nuzzle himself into the corner of the tank, probably to get comfortable enough to go to sleep himself. Before he could even say anything or make any sound of anger, the medicine's effect took a hold of him. His eyes shut closed against his will as he slowly slid into unconsciousness.

"I'm back, baby," he heard the cursed BLU Spy purr.


	7. Broken Spirits

**Chapter 7** - i_Broken Spirits_.

It was very early in the morning when the Spy awoke to a sudden jerk from the aquarium. He woke to find he was being moved out of the medical bay, he looked at the person doing it, it was the Scout.

"Where are you taking me?" He demanded.

"Outside," Scout answered. " You can be someone else's headache. Maybe to yer BLU buddies."

"Again?" The Spycrab groaned. "You would leave me out there to fend for myself when I can't even walk straight?"

" You walked from 'da BLU base to RED pretty easily." point out Scout.

" It took me three days!"

" 'least you got yer exercise, you _look_ like you could loose some weight."

"You broke my heart, Scout, you honestly have."

Nothing else was said till Scout reached the 2Fort battle field. Scout looked around enviously at the empty field, knowing he was still on suspension for attacking Sniper and making those around him believe he was crazy. The sky was a very pale blue and the sun was just past the horizon, the sunrise could have been beautiful if he cared enough to get up that early to see it; This was different though, he just wanted the Spycrab out of the base, out of his life.

"Well, I'd say it was fun havin' ya around, but I'd be lying," began Scout as he turned over the aquarium and dumped the Spycrab on the ground, almost buried alive by the dirt and rocks. " Try not ta get eaten by anything on yer way back."

He chuckled as he threw the now empty aquarium into the canal, ignoring that fact he was littering or the possibility that he could get into major trouble from the Medic or some hippy that just happened to be there and witnessed what he did. Didn't matter to him, he was going to be Spycrab free anyhow, said Spycrab looked up at him with a disappointed look. Scout sarcastically shrugged and then turned to return to his base.

"See ya later, Mr. BLU Spy!" Chirped the RED Scout.

"Why so formal, Scout? I mean ,after all,...I've seen you naked!"

Scout froze, he didn't want to believe the Spycrab, but after all that's happened, he was willing to believe the toothfairy was real. He turned slightly towards his little crab fiend.

"Yer lying!" He spat.

"Yesterday," began the Spycrab as he dusted himself off. "In the shower room. Another bit of proof that you heard me."

"'DAT WAS YOU?" growled the Scout, he bent down to pick up a rock to throw at the critter, he stopped suddenly. " Oh Shit! I owe Sniper an apology."

He dropped the rock and ran into the RED building. The Spycrab narrowed his eyes.

"I will not be ignored, little RED," He said to himself. " Nor will I be treated like an animal."

Scout pounded on Sniper's bedroom door, he didn't know why he was doing it so frantically, but he just had to apologize for misunderstanding that happened yesterday. Part of him prayed the Sniper didn't hate him, he and Sniper weren't the best of friends, but that man was the closest thing to a friend Scout ever had. Sure, they fought a lot, mostly when Scout was angry about loosing, but fighting is a good thing, right? It only proves how close you were to them.

No answer. Scout tried calling out his name as he knocked again. Still nothing. He took hold of the door knob and turned it, it wasn't locked. Pushing open the door, the younger RED class peered inside. Sniper's room looked almost like a ghost town, occupied only by a small bed and a closet, but no Sniper. Scout found the room to be very depressing, not even the standard issued bed blankets were spread on the mattress, they remained on top of the bare mattress nearly folded but with a thin layer of dust on top. He recalled seeing the sharpshooter walk in and out of his room, but does he even sleep in his room?

Scout slowly closed the door and scratched behind his head, thinking hard about where he might find the Sniper. By that time, the other classes were waking up, a few were early starters and were already fully awake. One of which was the Engineer, whom Scout pulled aside.

"Yo, Hard-hat, where's Sniper? He's not in his room."

"He never sleeps in his room, son," answered the Texan. " Sleeps in that Camper Van o' his, r'member?"

"Shit, I forgot about that." Scout was about to take off when Engineer grabbed his arm.

"You'd best leave him alone, he was really upset 'bout yesterday." Said the Engineer.

"That's why I need to talk to him, I'm gonna apologize," The Texan gave him a skeptical look and raised an eyebrow. "For real this time!"

The Engineer rubbed the back of his neck. "Some of the fellers were givin' him trouble 'bout what happened in the shower room, I don't know the full story but it ain't non of my business," Engineer continued. " Just don't make things worse for him, Boy."

"I'll be careful, Hard-hat. Hey, can you promise me something?"

"What's that?"

" If Medic asks: I'm in my room."

"Sure thing."

Sniper's van was parked behind the RED building, safe from the action that occurred on the field, safe from sabotage a BLU class might attempt. Sniper's home away from home, considering if Sniper had a permanent home to begin with.

The sharpshooter looked like he was up all night, Scout noticed how tired he looked from a distance. There was evidence of a campfire, that burned out hours ago, as well as a half empty coffee tin that laid on its side near it. Scout figured Sniper was taking care of his campervan all night due to the fact that Sniper was still washing his van when he arrived.

As he approached though, he noticed the fading colors of red paint on the side of the van where Sniper was washing with a wet paper towel. He could barely make out the word that was written there, Sniper took care of that, but he managed to read out the letters "F-nothing-nothing –G-nothing-T". Vandalism, Scout assumed.

Sniper heard him approach from behind, he looked over his shoulder and saw Scout, who smiled nervously, and returned to his job at hand. Scout took a deep breath and walked up next to the man, Sniper didn't acknowledge him when did so.

Scout turned to him. "You look like hell." he said.

The man shrugged. "Heard you wen' crazy."

"Medic said it's from exhaustion," replied Scout, almost immediately. "I'm on suspension."

Sniper said nothing, he continued wiping away at the faded red paint.

"What happened here?" Scout asked. "Did a BLU do this?"

Sniper stopped suddenly, as if time itself froze. "Why'd you do it, Scout?" he hissed.

"Do what?"

"Ya just gonna pretend it didn't happen, now? Don't insult me, kid!" Sniper shot Scout a bloodshot glare.

"Hey! If this is about what happened yesterday I came here to say...uh...I..I..._shit_...well,y'know, I'm..s-s..dude! Why were you lookin' at my dick!" Scout snapped.

Sniper let out a huff as he sneered at the Scout. "All I did was tease ya a bit about hearin' them voices."

"Yeah, and you almost told Medic and Heavy." Scout crossed his arms.

"Was that why you made that scene in the wash room?"

"huh?"

"YOU ACUSSED ME OF TAKIN' A PEEK AT YA!" Sniper snarled, the volume of his voice made Scout take a cautious step back. Sniper let out a wounded grunt as he leaned his left arm against his van and rested his forehead against it. "The others...all them blokes...t-they think I'm... they think I'm a..."

Scout remained quiet, Sniper sighed as he lifted his head and looked at what was left of the paint. The runner looked at it again, finally understanding what was going on now, the paint the Sniper was washing off was the remains of the word "FAGGOT".

"I'm s...It was a misunderstanding," Scout said."I know that now."

Sniper shook his head. " Can't be helped now."

" You hate me, don't you?"

Again the Sniper shook his head. " Just a bit upset wit' ya. It'll pass, just like this nasty rumor...I hope."

The man whipped his forehead which now had a very thin layer of sweat and looked back at what he had left to clean off. "You better return to the base," He suggested." You're still on suspension. Go on. Git!"

"It's the Spy's fault." The guilty tone finally caught up. Sniper looked at the boy as he turned and walked away. He waited until the Bostonian was out of view before he let out a very small grin.

The young runner walked with his shoulders slouched and his hands in his pockets; His movement through the base was very sloppy and very contorted, like he was a zombie or just walking through fog. Occasionally he would pause and slump against a wall, he wasn't depressed or upset, he knew he did what he could to settle things with the Sniper, but he felt drained of energy.

" Oh zhere you are, herr Scout!" he heard the Medic chirp. " I told you to stay in zhe Medical Ward until you vere well rested! Vhere haff you been?"

"Lookin' for you," Scout lied. "Doc...I'm friggin' tired."

" Must be zhe medicine from yesterday," Medic wrapped an arm around the Scout's shoulders and supported him as they both made their way to the Scout's room. " You must not have rested it all off. Matters not, zhis will be day one of your bedrest."

"Swell." groaned the Scout.

The Medic walked the Scout into his room and sat him down on his bed. "Get comfortable," he instructed very tenderly. "I vill get you a glass of water and some medicine zhat vill help you sleep"

Scout flopped down on his bed, resting his head into his pillow and pulling his legs up onto the bed. He was already bummed out, he knew the BLU Spy was just a harmless little crab and he had an advantage over the BLU team. Nine verses eight, with him on a medical leave, it an even eight verses eight. Still, he wanted to be out there fighting with everyone else and winning!

He kicked off his shoes and closed his eyes, trying to get the thought of battle out of his mind and focus on getting rest, even though he didn't want too. As he was closing his eyes, they jolted open again when he heard an eerie noise from outside his open door.

Tap-tap-tap-tap.

"Medic?" He asked.

He lifted up his head as the noise got louder, the sound made him shiver slightly. It wasn't possible that the Medic was back from the clinic already, he only left minutes ago. As the sound drew closer, he looked around for something to use as a weapon, only to remember his satchel and bat was still sidled up against the bed in the Medic's office. Scout began to think the base was haunted when everyone was out, perhaps even stalked by an former BLU member who was shot and left for dead, but didn't die and was ashamed to return to his own team. So he, instead, journeyed to the RED base and began to haunt the hallways as some form of phantom when no one was around to stop him...or something.

"_Naw, too obvious_." the Scout though, rolling his eyes as even thinking the idea.

The sound finally stopped, accompanied by heavy breathing, and slowly the 'Tap-tap-tap-tap' began again. Seconds later, a familiar little blue crab walked into his room, walking sideways the way a real crab should. Scout let out a groan as he buried his face into his pillow.

"I think *huff* I am getting *huff* the hang of this walking *huff,huff* nonsense." The Spycrab collapsed where he stood, panting heavily as if he ran a marathon.

"You scared the shit out of me!" Scout sat up and looked at the crab. "I though I told ya to never come back here."

" Its going to take *huff* a lot more then a couple words to keep me away, and throwing me out the window? That was just overkill, Scout." the little crab pushing himself to his...feet? " Perhaps maybe, we could talk about this now?"

"Talk? Because of you, the Sniper hates me now – well he did before but then we became friends for a while but now he hates me again-, and everyone thinks I'm crazy!" Scout spat, " Besides you're a BLU, I'm a RED, I could get in some serious trouble with my boss for even considering helping ya!"

"You are in the closet, aren't you?"

"What's that suppose to mean? I told you, I'm not gay!"

" What I'm asking from you is not gay. It is a simple kiss from one man to another in a completely non-sexual way."

Scout furrowed his brow. "You a man?"

"Oui."

" Am I a man?"

"Well technically, since you are a virgin, you are still a boy, but I guess you could be considered a man given the number of men you have killed before, so..." Spy shrugged his two large claws. "Oui."

"Well, there you go! Two men kissing, 'dat's gay! An' I ain't doin' it." Scout leaned against the wall with a smug smile.

"That accent of yours gets thicker when you are angry." Spy noted out loud.

"What accent?"

"Nothing. Listen, RED, perhaps we could...barter over this?"

"Barter?" Scout cocked his head and raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"To make a deal or to-"

"I know what it means!" interrupted Scout. " So what now? We're 'bartering' over my lips now? You're **sick**!"

"If it'll get me what I need, then yes. Do not make me beg."

Scout thought of his own Spy, he was a very proud man, confident of his abilities, and overflowing with charm and charisma. The boy admitted, he had thought about making the RED Spy his role model from time to time, but he could never imagine himself as classy as the rogue and moved on. He imagined if the RED Spy was to force himself to act on the mercy of an enemy that was weaker and below his own social class, it would destroy his ego as well as his own self-image. But then again, the Scout _hated_ it when others begged.

The Spycrab noticed the Scout's attention was not on him, the boy's eyes wandered in a different direction as his face reflected deep though. He was almost afraid to wonder what was on the RED's mind, it was almost surprising when he saw the Scout's expression change from an expression of thinking, to an expression of sympathy mixed with annoyance. He had a feeling the Scout was not thinking about him, but of someone else, most likely the Sniper, it was almost insulting being ignored.

Suddenly the Spycrab tone changed. " **I **_**hate**_** Zhis body**!" The Scout jumped at the sudden outburst. " It is slow and clumsy, I don't know how to use it properly! No one can 'ear me, those who **do** notice me only see me as a crab and not zheir team mate!" His French accent began thicker. " If I don't return to BLU soon, zhey will find a replacement! I will 'ave no where to go! No home, no job, nor could I return to my family! I will be...just a crab! WITH THE MIND OF HUMAN SPY!"

He stood there panting from his angry outburst, he locked eyes with the Scout, who was now sitting on the edge of his bed, his attention now focused on the crab.

At that moment, the Medic returned, carrying a glass of water in one hand and a couple pills in the other. Scout looked at the Medic, still a bit shocked with the Spy.

" Ok, herr Scout, zhese pillz shoul- EEK! Mein Gott!" The Medic almost tripped over himself when he noticed the little blue crab in the middle of the Scout's room. "How did zhat get in here?"

" Oh...um...well..." Scout didn't know what to say.

Medic let out a disgusted grunt as he looked down at the Spycrab. "Disgusting little thing." He let out an irritated snort as he set the glass, alone with the pills, on the nightstand next to the Scout's bed. "Shoo, shoo! Away with you!" The Medic used the side of his boot to guild the crab towards the door, the German found it weird how the crab was...resisting.

"Non! Non! Wait! RED!" Scout heard the Spy cry out. "Please, Scout, _please_!" His voice was shaking, Scout could hear the Spy was ashamed of crying out to him, but he didn't know what to do. "Scout, please..._help_ me!"

"Sorry." Scout whispered, completely lacking sympathy for the Spy.

The Medic gave a final, yet gentle, sideways kick and the crab skidded across the floor and landed against the opposite wall.

"Vhy are you applogizingk?" asked the Medic, who immediately scoffed and waved off the question before Scout could even answer. "Oh never mind, just get plenty of rest."

The Spycrab didn't know what to do since he couldn't communicate with the tall doctor, the man closed the Scout's door there was no way for him to easily scuttle back into the room. His eyes widened when he saw the Medic walk off, only to return seconds later with a large white bucket. "Ugh! I am so late!" Spy tried to scuttle away, but the doctor closed in on him and simple placed the bucket over him, trapping him. "I vill take care of you vhen I return."

Spy looked around, seeing nothing but white and the faint glow from the lights on the ceiling above him. He slammed his tiny body up against the rounded walls of the inside of the bucket, but he found that due to his size and lack of strength he wasn't able to move it. He was about to call out for help, but remembered the Scout was the only one to hear it, and it was most likely the boy had already settled down for a nap. The bucket, as well at the closed bedroom door, would muffle out his cries, so even trying would be pointless.

Scout wasn't going to help him, the Spy knew this, the runner was very stubborn and resented him for being part of BLU. No, the Scout hated him, for all those times he foiled his attempts at earning a victory for his own team. Before he became a crab, the Spy resented failure, he convinced himself the BLU team would be nothing him, he was smarter then all of his team mates, more talented, handsome, a true threat to those who didn't wear the color blue. Even though he and his RED counterpart were similar in many way, he knew he was the better one, at least that's how he viewed himself. Better!

And now here he was: trapped under a simple white bucket. Cursed to take the form of a ugly, weak little blue crab, the only person who could possibly save him hated his guts. This was a cruel form of karma.

Spy walked into the center of the bucket and sat down. Holding on to what dignity he had left, he curled up the best he could and tried his hardest to hold back the tears.


	8. Truce

**Chapter 8** - _Truce_

The Medic never returned. He was never killed, but he must have forgotten that he left the Spycrab trapped underneath the white bucket just outside the Scout's room. Spy lifted his head - actually his whole body lifted with him - when he heard voices approaching. It was a large group of REDs, he gathered, as he listened closely. Some were cheering, even complimenting their friends on their performance during the battle. Others were upset, disappointed with the payout of their strategy or about being killed a few times.

"_A stalemate_," the Spy half cheered to himself knowing that neither team won.

He scurried to the center of the bucket as he heard the Medic's voice approach, but the doctor only walked past it and continued on his way. How the Spy wished he was human again; he would make them pay for ignoring him. Granted, his class was highly specific for being ignored, but given the circumstances of the situation he was in, it was almost like being wounded and he was on a permanent cloak.

"You maggots plan on showering soon?" the RED Soldier barked to a few classes the Spy couldn't identify. He turned towards the voices. Although he wasn't able to see them, they were near where he was trapped. "A clean man is a strong man, so hop into the wash room! That's an order!" The RED Demoman let out a drunken groan.

"We be waitin' fer tha', uuuuugh..." The man paused. The Spy waited patiently only to hear the Demoman respond with a loud belch. "Ughhh, that's better...ugh, what did ye call 'im, Spook?" His counterpart let out a scoff.

"A filthy jarman," he answered. "That's what he is."

"Noo...nooo, the-the other word." The Spy heard a thud. He imagined it the drunken Scotsman losing his balance and leaning against the wall for balance.

"Nh Fmphnt." It was the RED Pyro who answered.

"_These three never struck me as the type to gossip_," the Spycrab thought to himself.

"So...it's true then," the Soldier said gently in a tone that reflected disappointment. "Of all my fellow brothers-in-arms, YOU maybe…" The Spy couldn't tell who the Solider was pointing too. "…But I never thought the Sniper would be a...be a...ugh! I can't even say the word!"

"It's not really a big surprise," the RED Spy began. "It's common for a...hunter like 'imself to go for the weakest one in the pack." Spy knew his double was referring to the RED Scout.

"I don't even WANT to think what might have happened if the Medic and Heavy weren't there," commented the Solider. "Uhh...now that you mention it, I think I might wait a while before hittin' the showers! Gotta...clean my...shovel."

"Go ahead 'n say it, lad!" bellowed the Demoman. "Ya don't want ta' be that man's beach!"

"His what?"

"His beach!"

"Come again?"

"His beach!"

"HE'S SAYING 'BITCH' YOU IDIOT!" the Spycrab screamed, hoping, just for a little bit, that the Soldier or those around him would hear. He paused and got no response.

"I do believe I speak for us all when I say zhat I'd rather not become the next target for zhat man to pleasure 'imself with," the Spy said very calmly, pausing again. The Spycrab heard the man exhale deeply; the RED Spy was taking a drag. "Scout was lucky; those voices he 'eard saved 'im from an embarrassing shower scene."

"And from becoming a man the WRONG way," added the Soldier. The Demoman let out another belch.

"Aye! We be waiting till he finishes wit' his bath. No Frogget gonna be peeking at me body while I shower." The Pyro let out an amused chuckle.

The whole situation was making the Spycrab uncomfortable, but he couldn't find out why it was. Guilt? No, with him, that wasn't possible. He had no sympathy for any RED member.

"HEY!" It was the RED Engineer that entered the scene.

"_Merde, this is becoming a radio drama_," the Spycrab sighed with annoyance. "_No wonder they were easy targets_."

"Y'all talkin' 'bout the Sniper again?" He sounded angry, which was surprising to the Spycrab. Even though he had destroyed a few of the Engineer's machines, the man rarely yelled out in anger. When he did so, it was only in despair for his precious little friends. "What's wrong with you? He ain't never bothered any of y'all, an' now his business is suddenly yours because of that dang rumor?"

"You weren't there, Engy," said the Soldier.

"Nor were you! None of ya were! Get off the Sniper's back, 'an when I find out which one ya gone an' vandalized his van, I'm gonna beat you a new behind!"

"How can you be sure it was one of us?" the RED Spy asked. "You got proof?"

"You continue harassin' the Sniper and that'll be proof enough fer me," the Engineer growled. "We ain't in high school anymore. We're supposed to be workin' together to fight the BLUs, not hazzin' each other like bullies!"

Silence. Eventually he heard the men slowly slinking away. The Engineer let out a huff before continuing on his way as well. The Spy had to admit that he was impressed with the Engineer's willingness to protect the Sniper's reputation. His own Engineer was nothing like this RED one. Although the BLU Engineer was respectful of those around him, he kept to himself and never made any attempt to get to know his own team mates.

It was quiet again. Eventually the lights above him flickered off as the Soldier called out that it was time for bed. Spy groaned as he attempted to hold his own stomach with his large claws. It never occurred to him how long it'd been since he last ate. When the Heavy captured him to present him to the Scout as a new pet, the Russian slipped a piece of lettuce into the aquarium and the Spy ate that in a hurry, but it wasn't enough to fill him.

He wished he was back in the BLU base as a handsome human again. Around this time at night, he would already be in his own designated room. He could see his room clearly through his own closed eyes – light blue painted walls, navy blue carpeting, and a clean white bed that sat on the west side of the room up against the walls. The Spy kept his room tidy; the room reflected the owner as he saw it. He kept all his blue suits in the closet, hung by a hanger so they wouldn't wrinkle, while his shoes laid below his identical suits, polished to a mirror-like shine despite the fact that they could be ruined by the upcoming battle the next morning. It didn't matter to him; it gave him something to do. While his teammates were entertaining themselves with trivial card games and the occasional dare or two, he would sit quietly in his room either shining his shoes, ironing his suits or cleaning his guns. When that was complete, he would pull out some pictures of the REDs, pin one of his choice to the wall and use the image as a target for his knife throwing technique. Deep inside him, what he missed the most was his bed. It was not too soft, not too hard, just perfect, as if it was made for him.

The sudden sound of a door being slammed shut jolted him out of his day dream. The Spy peered around in the dark until he realized the bucket around him was suddenly lifted. There stood the RED Scout, still dressed in his uniform and with an annoyed look on his face. The Spycrab dared not to comment about the Scout's lack of nighttime pajamas, but he was too weak to say anything. They locked eyes, not saying a word. Suddenly, Scout cleared this throat.

"Medic forgot you were here?" he asked. Spy nodded. "That sucks."

"Oui." replied the Spycrab.

"So..." Scout paused. "You hungry?"

The Spycrab didn't question the Scout's sudden change in attitude. As soon as the boy asked if he was hungry, the Spy nodded and scuttled into the trusting hands of the young runner. The Scout cupped both of his hands together and cradled the cursed BLU Spy in his hands as he walked down the halls towards the kitchen. The Spy noted how quiet the base was after hours. It was spooky, yet he oddly felt safe with the Scout. The boy knew his way around the RED building very well, even in the dark.

The Scout set the crab down on the counter as he flicked on the lights to the kitchen. He remained quiet as he opened the fridge and looked around for something he could eat, as well as for his guest. After a while, he returned with a cereal box and a bowl, returning back to the fridge and coming back with milk. Neither of them said a word as the Scout prepared a simple bowl of cereal. It was the Spycrab that broke the silence.

"Do you hate me?"

"Yeah," Scout answered almost immediately.

"Why?" Scout looked at him with a confused look. "And 'because you're a BLU' does not count."

"You cheat."

"I do? How?"

"That knife-throwing crap! That's how!"

"It's not cheating. It's just how I fight."

"Well, it just ain't fair! Why are you even throwing knifes in the first place?"

"I…" He stopped, looking away from the Scout.

"What? Hey! C'mon, answer me!"

"I don't have to answer to that," the Spycrab spat. "It's a pointless question."

"Psh! Whatever." He shoved the bowl of cereal towards the Spycrab. "Here."

The Spy's eye widened as he saw the large bowl of food. Since his claws made it impossible to use a utensil, he opted to just jump into the bowl – which he did, almost childishly as he began eating large mouthfuls of the plain tasting cereal. Scout pulled up a chair to the counter as he watched the Spycrab eat his fill in silence.

"I think I 'ad a dream about zhis once." The Scout heard the Spy giggle, his accent becoming thick again – not with anger, but from excitement. The Scout couldn't help just chuckle at the image of a grown Spy in an even bigger bowl of cereal.

The countertop was littered with splashed milk and scattered bits of cereal when the Spy climbed out of the bowl with a heavy, satisfied sigh.

"Simple, yet _very_ satisfying," he commented pleasantly. Scout said nothing. He tapped his fingers lightly against the counter. The Spycrab didn't say anything. He smiled lightly as he spotted a napkin not too far from him. Scout kept his eyes glued on the BLU Spycrab as he scuttled across the countertop and gripped the napkin with his large claws. Spy looked up at him as he began to dry himself off with it. "Something on your mind?"

"Just...thinkin'," Scout lied. Spy raised a suspicious eyebrow – that is, if crabs had eyebrows.

"If you are anything like the BLU Scout, I know you did not just sit there and think."

"Hey! Don't compare me to 'dat crybaby! I'm nothin' like him! He's a wuss! I'm the better Scout out there!"

"Looks like you and I have some common ground then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, like yourself, I think – no, I _know_ I'm better then my RED counterpart."

"Fat chance. Our Spy is WAY better than you." Scout snickered, feeling pretty proud about bragging to a BLU about his team. The Spycrab scoffed.

"How so?"

"Well, fer starters he has a freakin' hot girlfriend!" the Scout said, wiping a small amount of drool from the side of his mouth. "You got one?" He crossed his arms and leaned forward on the counter.

"I have no for such trivial pleasures."

"So you _are_ gay."

"I never said that." Spy tried to hide his amusement. '_He thinks __**I'm**__ the gay one_?'

"You implied it."

"Just continue with your reasons why your Spy is better than me."

"Oh right!" Scout cleared his throat. "Let's see, he has a way better gun that you! You seen the size of 'dat thing? If it had wheels, it'd be a freakin' cannon! AND he had a picture of his girlfriend engraved on it too. That makes it hot and awesome!"

"Is that all?"

"No! He's good at disguisin' himself, he has a hot girlfriend, he killed an entire team of BLUs by taunting, he has a hot girlfriend, he doesn't cheat with that knife-throwin' shit you do, he has a freakin' hot girlfriend and he treats me with respect better than anyone else in RED." The Spycrab rolled his eyes with a sneer.

"Just because he has a woman in his life doesn't make him any better. James Bond had a wife, but that didn't make him a better spy, did it?"

"Hey, you leave James Bond out of this!" Spy opted to change the subject, hoping he can finally ask the question he wanted to ask when the Scout carried him into the kitchen.

"Why did you help me?" Scout said nothing. He kept his head forward, but his eyes looked away. The Spycrab slowly scuttled up to the Scout's hands and looked up at the boy. "Answer me, Scout."

"I dunno, man!" Scout snapped, a bit irritated at being pushed to answer the question. The Spycrab took a step back. "I seriously don't know why." He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his short hair. "Could be because I hate it when people beg."

"I didn't beg," protested the Spy.

"What was it that you said this morning? 'Please, Scout, please'?" He imitated the Spy's accent, sounding even worse when mixed with his own Boston accent. The Spy could feel his hard shelled crab face burning red with embarrassment. "'Please, Scout, 'elp me'. Ring any bells? God! I hate it when people do that."

"I..." Spy cleared his throat. "I am ashamed that you had to see me resort to that. A moment of weakness."

"Puh-lease! You were desperate," Scout corrected.

"So...you are going to help me then?"

"You gonna keep stalkin' me if I say 'no'?

"Oui." An irritated groan.

"I told you before, I ain't gonna kiss you! but..."

"But?"

"I mean, sheesh, man, I can't be the only frikkin' virgin on this territory, ya know?" Scout said, sounding a bit nervous. "There's an entire PLANET out there filled with virgins. Why does it have to be **me**?" Spy rocked a bit side to side, trying to nod. Scout understood the gesture.

"Just more convenient, I suppose," Spy answered. "Just like in the fairy tale, the prince just happened to find a princess to help brea-"

"I'm **not** a princess!" Scout interrupted, sounding offended a bit as he stood up from his chair. Spy chuckled nervously.

"Oui, o-of course not..." Scout let out a huff as he sat back down. "I'm sorry about earlier, if I frightened you."

"Please! The only time you frightened me was when you walked up to me with this 'I've been cursed, kiss me now' bullshit!" Scout retorted.

"So the only reason you are feeding me and listening...is because you felt sorry for me?"

"Kinda." The Spycrab let out a heavy sigh.

"What do I do now? Give up? Move on with my new life as a crab?"

"I didn't say that," Scout's voice sounded soft to the Spy, which confused him. He looked at the Scout, who looked down, almost in shame. "I won't kiss you, _ever_! But maybe...y'know, I could help you find another way to break that curse."

"I thought you said you wouldn't help me because I'm a BLU and you're a..."

"Dude! Look at you! You're not even a real spy anymore!" Scout's arms were flying everywhere, almost like he was struck by lighting and only his arms were affected by it. "You can't cloak, you can't backstab, you can't disguise yourself, you can't even TALK to anyone." The Spy took several more steps back, feeling more and more useless with every word Scout said. "I'll make you a deal: I'll help you find another way to break the curse. Maybe there's another virgin on the base. I don't care who it is, just as long as it gets you out of my life," the Scout explained. "But in return, you gotta give up that knife-throwing shit you do. Save it for the circus or somethin'. AND you owe me a free kill."

The Spy felt himself smile; he was surprised the Scout didn't throw him out the window again or continued to mock him for showing a sign of weakness and begging for his help. In his mind, he viewed the RED Scout to be as immature and childish as his own BLU Scout, he was honestly surprised with this Scout and yet he grinned at how naively trusting he was.

"We have a truce?" the Scout asked. The Spycrab chuckled, sounding a bit dark but the same time an honest laugh.

"That we do. It'll be a pity though, to have to leave your side when we are successful."

"Hey! Hey! This ain't a relationship! As soon as yer human again, I'm going to finish what I started that last time in the Med Bay."

"Whatever you say, Scout."

Scout exhaled noisily and stretched. He decided to let the first person who'd wake clean up the mess the Spycrab made. He scooped up the tiny blue crab again and used his elbow to flick off the lights in the kitchen. They remained quiet as the Scout walked through the base towards his room. The Spy let out a sigh of relief and he laid down into the Scout's warm palms. Although it was going to be a while before his curse was lifted, at least he knew it was going to be broken somehow.

The Scout pushed open his bedroom door and closed it once he was inside. He looked around his room curiously before walking over to his bed and dropping the Spycrab on his pillow. He walked over to his closet and looked around for something, not saying a word about what he was looking for.

The Spycrab heard some grunting from the Scout as he was digging through his blatantly cluttered closet. Had he been human and the Scout was his roommate, that closet would be neatly organized. He winced as he watched the Scout throw random objects out of his way – a wrinkled shirt, ruined pairs of shoes, socks, belts, baseballs, and a few apple cores from God knows when. Finally, the Scout stood up with a spare pillow under one arm and an old non-RED related t-shirt held tightly in his fist. The Bostonian walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. The Spy watched as the Scout struggled with the old t-shirt as he slid it over the pillow as if he was dressing it.

"There," the Scout announced as he tossed the pillow on the floor next to the bed. "There's yer new bed." The Spy cringed as he looked at the pillow covered by a t-shirt and looked up at the Scout before looking at the pillow again.

"You've GOT to be kidding."

"Nope, My room, my rules," said Scout. "Rule #1: no crabs on the bed!"

The Scout lightly shoved the Spycrab off his bed. He heard the crab cry out as he fell off the side of the bed and landed gently on the spare pillow. He smiled contently as he flopped down lazily into his own bed, nuzzling his face into the clean pillow.

"Mon Dieu!" the Spy whimpered. "Please tell me zhis 'as been washed!"

"I can't remember," Scout yawned. "I wore it last night. It's fine."

The Spy shivered with disgust as he forced himself to snuggle down into the pillow, trying his hardest not to think of the mounds of junk it was buried under and the fact that the Scout explained he wore it to bed last night didn't help at all. He forced himself to close his eyes as he finally got comfortable on the rather lumpy pillow. As he began to inhale deeply, he was surprised to feel himself smile.

"_Mmm, what a delicious scent_."

"Just so we're clear," the Scout mumbled tiredly. "I'm only helping you out of **pity**!" Spy let out an amused chuckle.

"I can live with that..."


	9. The Unfortunate Truth

**Chapter 9** - _The Unfortunate Truth_

The Spycrab awoke to annoying trilling of off-key whistling, followed by the heavy footsteps. He cursed to himself when he realized the sun hasn't even risen and already the RED team was up and about. Yet another reason, he noted, why the RED team had gotten sloppy: they went to bed late and woke up too early. The Spy turned slightly and looked up at the Scout, who was still fast asleep, laying on his stomach with his face buried into the pillow as he lightly snored. The former-Frenchmen had to admit that when the Scout wasn't yelling or acting like a complete dick, he was rather...cute. It was an attribute he never would have thought about his enemy, but since he had to trust this young man with his life for the time being, he decided to change his opinion on the Scout. Part of him was mournful that eventually he would have to return to killing the boy, but that was how he was paid: to kill anyone who wore red.

"Guten Morgen, Scout!" the Medic announced as he threw open the door.

The Spy let out a silent gasp as he scuttled off the pillow and hid himself from the German by shuffling under the Scout's bed.

The Scout let out a groan as he forced himself to open his eyes. He turned toward the Medic, whose face reflected utter glee and was practically glowing with cheerfulness that the Scout was almost convinced he was going to throw up.

"Doc, it's too freakin' early!" the Scout grunted as he used his pillow to cover his entire head. "I need five more hours."

"I'm sorry, Scout," The Medic said. "I've just come to see how you vere feeling. Haff you been resting vell?"

"Nonstop." Scout replied weakly. "Doc, can I be taken off suspension now?"

" Just one more day, Scout." The Bostonian let out an animal-like groan. "It's for your own good."

"I punched Sniper and I talked to myself a few times and 'dat makes me a nutcase?"

Scout eventually sat up and ran his hand through his short brown hair, the Medic sneered, not liking the Scout's choice to sleep in his uniform.

"You don't have to rest all day. Just relax for today and zhen tomorrow you can rejoin zhe others on zhe field," the Medic finished up.

Before the Medic left, he noticed the pillow on the floor, but what bothered him about it was the shirt that was pulled over it.

"Vhat is zhis pillow doing on zhe floor?" he asked as he picked it up.

The Scout was silent as he sat on the edge of his bed. "Oh that? I ...uh...had sex wit' it!"

The Medic let out a cry of disgust as he dropped it back onto the floor. "ZHAT IZ DEGUSTING!"

"Well what am I suppose to do, Doc? Endless battles, no women, and I'm on suspension! A man gets bored! And lonely."

"Why don't you just masturbate like normal men? Vhat you did iz just...so veird!"

"Don't judge me, Doc." The Scout let out a chuckle. "Seriously, has anyone told you how girly you can get?"

Medic let out a high pitched scoff, placing his gloved hands on his hips. "I resent zhat!"

"No need to get offended. I'm just makin' an obvious observation." Again the Scout chuckled as the Medic narrowed his eyes at the runner.

"Do not bring zhat up again, Scout. It iz very rude," warned the Medic as he shook his finger at the Scout. It oddly reminded the Scout of his own mother. She would do that same thing when he would get into trouble. It was just annoying when the Medic did it.

"Fine," Scout answered simply.

The Spycrab finally reveled himself when the Medic left the room. The Scout yawned and stretched, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes after doing so.

"Your Medic coddles you." the Spy said disdainfully.

"You sound jealous," replied the Scout as he pushed himself off the bed and walked over to his dresser.

"I'm not! I'm just noting how attentive he is to you."

"He's a doctor, it's his job." The Scout paused as he opened his dresser and pulled out a clean shirt. He reluctantly looked over his shoulder at the Spycrab, who was watching him with watchful eyes. "Umm...could you...y'know...look away for a while?"

"Why?"

"Dude, I'm gonna to be undressin' here!"

"I don't see what the problem is, we have the same bodies."

"I don't wanna be watched while I'm changin' here!"

" I've seen you naked before, Scout. Why so sensitive?"

Scout's face flushed a bright red, having realized the misunderstanding between him and the Sniper was caused by the Spycrab commenting on his body. "T-That was bathroom naked, this is different!"

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothin'!"

"An embarrassing birthmark? A hidden tattoo?" Spy paused, suddenly grinning very evilly. "A third nipple?"

"Sick! I'm serious, man! Just look away!"

"Ok, ok, fine." The Spy let out a sigh as he turned around, although he was curious about the Scout's insecurity about being watched undressed. While it was true he had seen the Scout naked, it was only brief before he had to scuttle away to avoid the sudden bathroom brawl. He was actually praising the Scout on how well toned his legs were, nothing above that. Apparently the Scout got the wrong idea and blamed the Sniper.

It was almost tempting to peek at the Scout, just to spite him. Although the two were from different sides, the Spy had to admit he was surprised at how trusting the runner was. While the Spy did have to cooperate with the boy in order to return to the way things were before he was cursed, he imagined if he was a human, he could easily sneak up behind the boy and plunge his knife into his exposed back.

Spy licked his lips at this thought. It had been nearly a week since he was turned into a crab, but his lust for the kill was as strong as ever. He pitied himself for being a small, helpless crab instead of something more fearsome, like a panther or a snake. Yeah, a snake was more his style. He could easily slither from the BLU base into RED, maybe at night when they were all asleep in bed, like the Scout was earlier. Such a sweet, little thing; so trusting as he slept peacefully in his bed, completely unaware of the poisonous snake that might have crawled in through the window and slithered up to his naked arm that dangled over the side of the bed. Such a naïve boy.

He snapped out of his dark daydream when he heard the rustling of clothes and the Scout humming very softly 'Take me out to the ball game'. This was enough to get his attention, mostly to let the Scout know he wasn't at all pleased with his choice of song. He turned to speak his mind but froze.

His eyes grew wide as he watched the Scout slowly pull his wrinkled red shirt over his head and throw it to the side, not caring where it landed. Spy was surprised at how smooth the Scout's back was. He expected a scar or two - maybe even a burn mark from when the BLU Pyro gunned him down - but no. Just smooth, pale white skin. Spy couldn't help but notice how skinny Scout was, something he completely overlooked after his view of the Bostonian in the shower room. He couldn't look away. As much as he hated to admit it, it was like watching a woman undressing, and he knew he could get away with watching as long as he kept quiet.

Scout's eyes immediately caught site of the Spycrab gazing at him.

"DUDE!" he screamed. He grabbed his clean shirt and held it against his chest. "I said don't look! What's wrong wit' you?"

"Maybe if you closed your door every now and then, maybe we wouldn't be tempted to peer in!" It the RED Spy that answered as he passed the Scout's room, shooting the Scout a dubious look and cringed before he moved on down the hall. Scout blushed again, grumbling to himself as he continued to hold his shirt against his naked chest and walked across the floor to shut the door.

"This sucks on ice," he whispered. Without turning back into the room, he sighed and pulled the red shirt over his head, tugging it down his chest. Scout turned his head toward the Spycrab, who took a cautious step back.

"You're...not going to beat me up like you did the Sniper, are you?" he asked. The runner was silent until he forced himself not to smile. He snorted and finally chuckled very lightly. Spy let out a silent sigh of relief and smiled at the Scout. "I'm sorry for abusing your trust. My fate is in your hands and I've overstepped my bounds." Scout scoffed.

"Don't make it a frikkin' habit," he warned. "I ain't gonna beat you up 'cause yer shell look hard an' I don't want to scrape up my hands."

"I understand."

"Seriously though. I've been doin' some **serious** thinkin' last night." Scout reached down his shirt and pulled out his dog tags. "Remember what you said 'bout the BLU Scout? How we're kind of 'da same?"

"Oui."

"Well...if _I'm_ a virgin...then _he's_ probably a virgin, too! I mean, come on. I've seen that guy cry over a splinter before. He's a friggin' wuss! There's NO way that guy could've had sex!" The Spy's eyes widened as his jaw dropped wide open, he shook his claws in front of his face.

"Mon dieu! Why have I not thought of zhat before?" he cried, immediately turning towards the window and scuttling towards it. "You are a genius, Scout!" Scout smiled as he walked behind the Spycrab, leaning down and picking him up, giving him a lift up to the window. "He is a talented boy, like you, but he has acted very insecure every since zhis war began, also just like you." He jumped out of the Scout's hands and onto the windowsill. He pressed his face up against the glass. "Zhere is no doubt he iz a virgin, like you."

"Alright, I get it: we're practically twins. Enough already."

The two peered out onto the battle field. The Announcer called out the start of the battle. Both teams dashed out of their own buildings and began their attack on the opposite team. Scout looked down at the blue crab when he heard the little guy let out a depressed sigh.

"I wonder if zhey know zhat I am missing," he said aloud. Scout hesitated. The crab was still a BLU member, and it was against his nature to cheer a person up, but the words were almost forced out of him.

"I-I'm sure they _are_ worried," he said, his voice slightly cracking. "I-I-I mean, yer like their best fighter out 'dere! L-Losing to RED a couple times ought to be a sign 'dat yer missin'." The Spy looked at him, touched by the RED's words.

"Do you mean zhat?"

"Duh! You were the reason we kept loosin'!" Scout explained, almost in an angry tone. "Even I knew you were missing since day one of your horrible crab-transformation!"

"Thank you, Scout."

"Don't mention it. Seriously, **don't** mention it." The former-Frenchman smiled as he turned his attention back to the field, almost immediately he let out a gasp.

"Zhere he is!" Scout looked out the window, seeing the BLU Scout making his way across the top of the bridge and making a sudden jump, landing a bit ungracefully onto the ground and immediately taking a hard right turn. "I know where he is headin'! Scout?" The Spy looked at the Scout again with pleading eyes. "Will you take me to him?"

"I can't do that, man, I'm still on suspension, remember? I'll get in trouble." It was the Spycrab's turn to scoff.

"With who: the Medic? What's the worst he could do? Give you a shot? He's not the boss of you; your boss is your boss." He wanted to jump off a cliff for saying such a stupid sentence.

"We'll have other chances, he's ain't goin' anywhere."

"I'd rather have zhis curse lifted as soon as possible. Please, Scout." He used the same begging tone he used before, knowing the sound of his pleading voice annoyed the Scout. Spy knew it worked when he saw the Bostonian scrunch his nose and narrowed his eyes.

"Fine! I'll take ya to him! But I ain't stickin' around when it gets all faggy n' shit, got it?"

"You are a saint, Lapin." Scout frowned.

"'Lapin'?"

"It is French."

"What's it mean?"

"I'll tell you later."

Scout was thankful those days of was bed rest hadn't caused him to slow down on his performance. He was as fast as ever as he ran a secret route through the RED base to avoid any of his teammates spotting him and ratting him out to the Medic. The plan the Spycrab reviewed with him ran through his mind as he sprinted down several hallways.

"The BLU Scout likes to run decoy laps before he enters the RED base. You should be able to cut him off on the inside of your team's building."

It felt good being out in the open instead of in his bedroom. He paused when he reached the outside walkway, smiling and taking in a deep breath of the fresh air, despite the fact that the air also smelled like gunpowder and blood. God, it felt great to him! It would've been perfect if he was able to kill a few BLUs to work off the cabin fever he'd been feeling for the last 48 hours. He contemplated doing so when he saw a few stray BLUs run underneath the walkway; a few shots to the head with his gun could finish them off easily.

"Why have you stopped?" the Spycrab asked as he reveled himself from underneath the Scout's hat. "You'll lose sight of the BLU Scout if you slow down for even a second!"

"Relax, 'da BLU Scout's a slow-mo. We'll find him," the Scout said in a rather cocky tone. "I'm just takin' in the view. It's been a while since I've been on 'da battlefield."

"**I** 'ave been off zhe field for five days; you 'ave nothing to complain about," retorted the BLU Spycrab. "Now hurry up and find 'im!"

"Sheesh! Since when did you become so bossy?" the Scout asked as he took off, making sure to run in the shadows.

"I am sorry. I'm just excited," The Spy whispered, but loud enough for the Scout to hear. Not that it mattered since Scout was the only one who could hear it. Force of habit.

Scout muttered. "I still can't believe I'm doin' this. Feels like I'm skippin' school or something."

Scout was so used to running directly from the RED base across to the BLU base. Despite being a scout, he was very unfamiliar with the side area of the base. He relied on luck alone as he scouted the area, hoping he wouldn't run into a fellow teammate or even a BLU. Even if he did run into one, he'd be forced to kill him. If he ran, he would be pursued, maybe even killed in the process. The Medic would never forgive him if that happened.

He flinched every time he heard a gun shot or the sound of footsteps, which later turned out to be his own. Every now and then, the Spycrab would push Scout's hat up some and look around, acting as a second pair of eyes for the Scout. The runner had to admit, it felt weird running around with a crab under his hat, especially when its sharp, pointed legs would dig into his scalp. But at the same time, he had never felt safer knowing someone was watching his back.

"Jump over there," Spy would advise, and without question, Scout would do so. "Duck down, the BLU Sniper will see you."

Neither of them could tell how long they had been out. The Spy eventually climbed out from the Scout's hat, gasping for air and flopped down on the Scout's shoulder, clinging to the boy's shirt for dear life as the runner continued his sweep of the area. It wasn't long until Scout caught a slight blur that he immediately recognized his BLU counterpart making his way into the building. He grinned to himself as he picked up his speed and chased after the BLU class, the Spycrab grunting with every step, wishing he had stayed inside the Scout's hat.

It wasn't long until Scout caught up with the BLU Scout, taking a sudden dive and tackling his fellow Bostonian to the ground. The BLU Scout wasn't too happy about landing face first against the cold cement floor of the RED base. He immediately fought back against his own counterpart. The Scout fought back as well, wanting to prove that he was the better scout on the field. Even if he was still on suspension, he was going to dominate THIS scout even if it killed him.

With a loud grunt, the RED Scout pinned the BLU Scout firmly down on the floor, sitting proudly on his enemies stomach as he held down his arms.

"What 'da hell is **wrong** with you?" the BLU Scout screamed, struggling against the arms that held him down. His terrified eyes locked with the RED Scout, who was panting heavily as sweat dripped down his face. The BLU let out a hiss as a few drops of sweat landed on his own face. "I-I thought you were on lock-down! In the Coo-coo hut! What are you doin' out here?"

"Will you **shut up** already!" snapped Scout at the other Scout, who let out a whimper and quivered very slightly. "God, yer such a baby! You gonna cry now?"

"Now, now, Scout, do not bully him," the Spycrab said into the Scout's ear.

"Please, this punk is askin' for it," Scout responded.

"Who-who are you talkin' to?" the BLU Scout asked very reluctantly.

The Spycrab scuttled across Scout's shoulder and down his arm, eventually hopping onto the BLU Scout's chest. Although the Spycrab smiled very happily at his team mate, the other Scout's face reflected that of fear.

"Wh-wh-what the hell is that?" He struggled again, but the Scout held him down. "You gonna torture me now? With a freakin' **crab**?"

"Scout, Scout, calm down, it is me!" the Spy began, unable to control the tears from his eyes. "The BLU Spy! Your teammate, remember? I will not hurt you. I am just cursed to look like a crab."

The BLU Scout calmed down a bit, but his look of terror didn't change. His breathing picked up at he stared at the crab. The RED Scout held his breath.

"What does it want? Why is it spazzin' like that?" The other Scout asked. The RED Scout flinched.

"C-can't you hear him?" he asked.

"Hear what? What are you talking about?"

"Scout?" The Spycrab look a few steps closer to the BLU Scout's face.

"GET THIS THING AWAY FROM ME!" The BLU Scout burst out screaming, struggling even harder due to panic. The Spycrab slinked back, eventually finding himself backed up against the RED Scout's crotch.

"You can't hear him?" repeated the RED Scout.

"You're a f*ckin' psycho!" hissed the BLU Scout. The RED Scout looked at his counterpart, first looking surprised and slowly, very slowly it changed into terror. His eyes grew wide and his mouth flew open as he let out a scream, which surprised the BLU Scout as he looked dumbfounded up at his RED enemy.

"YOU'RE NOT A VIRGIN?"

"Who said I was a virgin?"

"Yer lyin'! Tell me can hear him! The BLU Spy! You CAN hear him, right? RIGHT?" The Scout was gripping the BLU Scout's arms and shaking him.

"Scout stop it! You are hurting him!" The Spycrab called out. Scout did as told. He breathed in heavily through his teeth and glaring down at his counterpart.

"The BLU Spy? You have him? You holdin' him hos-OW!" The BLU Scout cried out as the RED Scout's fingernails dug into his skin. "S-Stop that!"

".?" Scout demanded.

"No! I'm not!" the other Scout yelled. "I'm not a virgin! Ya happy now?" Before anything could be said, the BLU Scout felt the RED Scout get off of him. As the young man pushed himself into a sitting position, he saw his counterpart run off faster than before with the little crab in his hands. He didn't know what to think. The whole event left him confused, but for the most part, uneasy. For one thing, he admitted to an enemy Scout that he wasn't a virgin. He was thankful he didn't ask whom he lost his virginity to. The other was the whereabouts of the BLU Spy. Was the RED team holding him captive?

He rubbed his arms where the RED Scout's fingernails left bleeding cuts. Picking himself up off the ground, he decided not to get the RED intel as planed. Instead, he ran back toward the BLU base. He HAD to tell the Soldier.

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" the Scout muttered to himself as he leaned against the wall of the RED base hayloft. "I can't believe that pussy had sex before me! What are the friggin' chances, huh?" Scout waited for an answer from the crab that lay in his lap. The crab said nothing. Without saying a word, Scout brought his hands gently to each side of the round crab and slid him up his legs as he pulled them up against his chest, setting the cursed Spy on top of his kneecaps. "What's wrong?" The Spycrab sniffed.

"The BLU Scout was not a virgin," he began. "I am back where I started."

"We," Scout corrected.

"What?"

"**We're** back were we started."

"Stop mocking me, boy."

"I'm helpin' you, aren't I?"

"And what good it did," The Spy snarled sarcastically. "We went in a complete circle. I cannot believe the Scout is not a virgin. But because he couldn't hear me...that is proof enough that he is not pure."

"Guess it's back to da drawin' board." Scout replied softly.

"Non," Spy said very quietly. "The BLU Scout was my only 'ope. Since he's not a virgin, that would make you zhe only virgin on zhe courtyard." Scout flinched. "Do not worry. I will not ask you for zhat favor." Scout sighed with relief. "Although I 'ave only been 'ere for a very short time, you 'ave treated me well, despite me being your enemy." The Bostonian didn't say anything, a bit curious at where the Spy was going. "You 'ave listened to me, refused to kill me when given the chance, you even fed me and gave me a place to sleep," the Spy said, smiling very slightly. "The least I could do in return is not force you to do something zhat you are not comfortable with." Scout smiled lightly, letting out a slightly chuckle, he still felt ridiculous for talking to a crab.

"Thanks, pal," he said. "Don't worry too much, though. We'll find another way to break 'dat curse."

"_Pal_?" The Spycrab's eyes lit up slightly. "Do...you still hate me?" he asked, his voice still serious.

"Dude, it's hasn't even been a full day," Scout huffed, resting his arms across his lap. "I know I'll have to end up fighting you again when we do find another way to break 'dis curse, so naturally I gotta hate you. I'm paid to after all but..." He lifted his head a bit, resting it against the back of the wall, his foot tapping slightly. The Spy kept his eyes on the RED Scout, remaining quiet as well. He knew the Scout was right; if the curse was lifted or not, they were on separate teams. He was paid to kill those in red outfits just like the Scout was paid to kill those in blue. Although the Scout was kind to him - however the Spy was half convinced the Scout only acted this way because he knew helping the Spy would give him the upper hand in battle when he was human again - his views on the Scout...changed slightly. He mentally took back the dark thoughts of killing the boy from this morning.

"Go on," the Spy said.

"Well, y'know, we've got to work together temporally so you can fix 'dis mess, so we gotta trust each other, right? Watch each others backs n' shit."

"Oui."

Scout finally answered. "I still hate you for the way you humiliated me that one day, and fer makin' me look like a insane idiot in front of my team...and..." He lowered his head. "fer ruinin' Sniper's reputation! You...you heard right?"

"I 'ave," Spy replied. "Probably zhe worst thing to be known as out here."

"I won't forgive you for that," began Scout again. "I thought Sniper and I were goin' to become good friends, but then...YOU showed up."

"Believe me, Scout, if I had the ability now to talk to him, I would apologize." He paused, rethinking his sentence. "At gunpoint, though. But for _you_, I would apologize to him."

"Thanks." whispered the Scout. There was an awkward pause between the two before the Scout let out a heavy sigh. "Think we should get back before Medic finds out?"

"That would be wise."

"Hold on..."

"Oui?"

"It's later. Now tell me what 'Lapin' means." The Spycrab chuckled very faintly.

"It means 'Bunny'."

"Ok. I hate you again."


	10. A Fresh Start

**Chapter 10** - _A Fresh Start_

It was almost mid-afternoon by the time the Scout and Spycrab made it to the entrance of the RED base. Thankfully the journey from base to home base was easier than scouting around for the BLU Scout. It still shocked the RED Scout that his BLU counterpart, despite being fragile and a complete wimp, had sex before him. He found it very hard to view the BLU Scout with a woman, or with anyone for that matter. It was out of his power now, nothing could be done.

"Looks likes we're in da clear," Scout said to the crab he carried in his hands.

"How lucky for us," Spy said very dryly, still a bit upset about the unwanted truth about his team mate.

Scout picked up the pace slightly as he rounded the corner and slipped into the entryway of the RED Base. Almost immediately, a strong pair of arms shot out of nowhere and grabbed Scout, pulling him into the shadows. The sudden movement to the side sent the Spycrab flying out his hands and landing harshly on the cold cement floor. Scout grunted as he was slammed against the hard wall, his eyes clamped shut with pain as the back of his head bounced off the barrier, only able to let out a hiss of discomfort so he couldn't show any sign of weakness to his attacker.

"Gotcha, ya fancy bloody wuss!" The Scout instantly recognized the heavy accent belonging to the RED Sniper. He instantly calmed down.

"Shit, man! That really hurt!" he hissed.

"Scout?"

The Sniper released one of Scout's arms and used his free hand to tip up his hat a bit, getting a better view of his prey. He stared at the Scout, who kept his eyes locked with the Sniper's, and let out an irritated groan as he released the Bostonian.

"What are you doin' here?" sighed the Sniper.

"What are YOU doin' here?" Scout asked, finding it odd to find the Sniper hiding in the corner of the RED building's entrance instead of his usual areas.

"I asked you first!" Sniper snapped, his answer almost immediately before the Scout finished his own sentence.

"Are they harassin' you out there?" Scout asked, noticing how the Sniper tensed up at the question. "Is... that why yer hidin' back here?"

The sharpshooter didn't answer, keeping his eyes on the runner as if trying to look into his soul. Scout looked nervously at the arm that kept him pinned to the wall, a bit curious as to why the Sniper hasn't let him go. He looked over the Sniper's shoulders and noticed the Spycrab had landed on his back and was now struggling to flip himself back onto his feet.

"A-ain't non of yer concern." the Sniper finally answered, snapping Scout back to attention. After a short pause, he let out a single chuckle and placed his hands on the Scout's arms. It was the boy's turn to tense up. "But why are you out here? Yer still on medical rest, 'member?"

Scout said nothing, finding the situation to be quite uncomfortable, especially when the Sniper took a step closer. He nodded nervously as their eyes locked. Scout didn't blink as he noticed the Sniper's angered look. He shivered slightly at the Sniper's gaze and his own nervous reflection in his aviator glasses.

"Um..." he gulped. "Are you gonna tell Medic?"

"Did ya sneak out t' meet someone?" asked the Sniper.

"Can you back off fer a second, man?"

The Spycrab could be heard grunting with frustration, occasionally letting out a curse in his own foreign language as he began rocking his body back and forth like a see-saw. The aggressive movement caught the Scout's attention, focusing on the little crab instead of the Sniper.

"I asked you a question. Did you?"

"What the hell's yer problem! Why are you actin' like dis, Sniper?"

A low, irritated groan was all the Scout got as an answer from the Sniper. Without saying a word, the taller man straightened up and sighed as he pushed the Bostonian off the wall and towards the stairway that led into the living quarters of the RED base.

"Ferget it, yer ain't worth the trouble." he mumbled. The Scout looked at the Sniper as the man picked up his rifle and crouched near the entrance. In his mind, he figured the Sniper just wanted to try a new strategy. Turning away from his teammate, Scout immediately came to the Spycrab's aid, using the tips of his fingers to flip the little coruscation onto his belly before scooping him into his hands again. He took one last concerned look at the Sniper before running further into the base.

* * *

"Your Sniper needs anger management," the Spycrab announced as he sat next to the Scout on his bed. The crab wished he held his tongue when noticed how the Scout was rubbing the back of head and tightly clenching his eyes closed. "Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

"'s just a headache," hissed the Scout as his fingers rubbed against a tender area on his skull. "Shit! That smarts!"

"Don't touch it." He instinctively reached out his claw to grab the Scout's arms, but remembered he wasn't human and no longer had long, strong arms; only short, heavy claws. Shamefully, he looked away from the Scout, feeling like an idiot trying to stop the Scout from irritating a possible bruise.

"You ok?" the runner asked as he looked at the crab.

"Just...a bit depressed." Scout leaned against the wall, unsure if the Spy was trying to use the guilt factor against him or if he was being honest. "I am unsure if I can get used to this body." Scout shrugged, not knowing how to handle the situation because he had never been a crab before, which was something he was very thankful for.

Both of them remained quiet. The sound of the battle going on outside was the only thing they could hear, followed by a few screams by those unfortunate enough to get shot or even killed. The boy's legs began to twitch slightly, remembering the run that had happened earlier. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he lifted up his right arm and sniffed his armpit. He regretted doing that as he pulled his head away and scrunched his nose at the foul odor.

"Man, I reek!" he almost yelled in disgust. The Spycrab looked at him, a bit startled by his sudden announcement. "I gotta take a shower 'er the Medic is gonna find out!" He pushed himself off of his bed and dug around his dresser for a fresh pair of clothes.

"Scout?" The Spy stopped him before the Scout flew out his bedroom door. "May I join you?" The Scout sneered.

"What? Are you kiddin'?" he half demanded. "I ain't gonna let you watch me bathe! That's just** gay**!"

"Not to watch." The crab neared the edge of the bed. "To bathe myself, as well." The boy gave him a skeptical look and raised an eyebrow.

"**You** need ta bathe? I thought crabs were water creatures and didn't need ta take showers."

"I have not been in any body of water since I became this way," explained the Spycrab, widening his eyes and using the same begging tone that won him Scout's help in the first place. "I am in desperate need of a bath, Lapin."

"Ok, fine!" the Scout groaned. "But **don't** look at me,** don't** even think about watchin' me undress, and **don't** call me 'Lapin' or a Bunny anymore! Got it?"

"Share the soap, and I will not even THINK about your smooth naked body," the Spy purred, almost mockingly.

"Dude, are you flirtin' wit' me!" The Spycrab chuckled as the Scout lowered his hand down near the bed. He scuttled into the open palm.

"Non, you are just easy to tease is all."

"Am not!"

* * *

It felt weird being alone in the shower room – granted, it was weird enough being in the shower room with other men. Although he was use to bathing with his team mates, just being around naked men made him very uncomfortable to begin with, but being alone was just unsettling. In his mind, Scout felt like he wasn't supposed to be there and was convinced he would just drop dead if someone walked in and he was caught with his pants down.

The light tapping sounds coming from the Spycrab walking along the wooden bench reminded him he wasn't alone. A crab, yes, but a crab that use to be a BLU Spy. That just made things worse for the Scout. The thought of him showering with an enemy BLU made goose bumps rise on the surface of his skin.

"So how should we do this?" asked the crab. " You hold me and I wash myself in your hands? Or perhaps I should stand under you while you bathe." The Spy respectively had his back turned to the boy as he pulled his slightly sweaty shirt off and tossed it into his cubby with his other shirt from two days ago. He figured the Medic hadn't collected laundry yet.

"I was thinkin' maybe I'd shower first, then you can when I'm in my clothes again." The Scout replied.

"Non, that wouldn't work. I wouldn't be able to clean myself properly."

"'k...how ' bout I just turn on the water in another stall?"

"Same situation." Scout unbuckled his belt and tossed it to the side as he kicked off his shoes. "You got a better idea?"

The Spy nodded. "How you do you feel about letting me ride on your shoulder?"

"Uh…NO!"

"Why not? My eyes will never be on you." The Spycrab turned around and faced the Scout, who immediately crossed his arms across his chest as if he was a woman caught without her shirt on. The Spy nearly smiled at this.

"H-How do I know you ain't gonna look at me while we're doin' this?"

"If I move around too much, I would fall off, and that would be very unfortunate, would it not?" The Scout nodded quickly, keeping his arms crossed over his chest all the while. He knew if he kept making excuses, the Spy would begin begging again, and he just _hated_ that. He thought losing to the Spy was bad enough, but having to put up with the annoying tone of his desperate voice was worse that nails on a chalkboard – at least to the Scout it was.

"Ok, fine!" He felt redundant for saying that, but it was the only thing that would stop the Spy from begging. Letting out a defeated sigh, he allowed the Spycrab to climb onto his hand again and he raised his arms slightly, placing the little crab into his bare, bony shoulder. Scout shivered slightly, feeling the tiny pointed feet of the crab dig into his skin. It wasn't as bad as feeling him on his head, but on his bare skin, it was much worse. "Dude!" he gasped as the Spycrab moved around to get into a comfortable position so he was facing forward. "That feels f*ckin' WEIRD!"

"My apologies."

As soon as the Spycrab stopped moving and rested against the Scout's neck, the Bostonian pulled off the rest of his clothes and stood up slowly. His movements were very slow as he turned to walk towards the shower stalls and took very cautious steps.

"I'm not a flower vase, Scout. You can move faster than that," the Spy muttered into the Scout's ear.

"Oh, right." The Spy felt the Scout's shoulders loosen slightly as the runner walked normally into the closest stall.

"Remember to wash behind your ears, oui?" chuckled the Spycrab as the Scout turned on the warm water.

"What are ya? My ma?" Scout wished he was able to say that in a more serious tone, but the warmth of the water felt so good. He could tell the Spy was enjoying it, too, as he let out a long, satisfied moan. They both stood still as the water washed over them. Scout smiled contently as he held his breath and faced up into the water, letting the water rinse his face of the sweat and dirt. Occasionally, he would open his mouth and take in some of the water, swishing it in his mouth before spitting it out.

After a while, the Scout reached out and grabbed the soap that sat in the soap dish between the two stalls. He almost forgot about the crab that sat on his shoulder, but the Spy remained in place as he began to lather up his arms and chest. As the soap washed his body, his mind wandered a bit, wondering mostly about the Sniper. It was unlike the man to sudden treat him so roughly, but then again, he thought the Scout was a Spy when he was nabbed. Probably disappointment was what stirred the Sniper to speak harshly to him as well as grip him tightly.

Scout's hands rubbed up his arms where the Sniper held him. He could still feel the pressure of the man's grasp on him.

"Something on your mind?" The Spy asked.

"Wh-why do you say that?" Scout mumbled as he resumed cleaning himself with the soap.

"Your body language." replied the Spy.

"I thought you said you weren't going to be lookin' at my body."

"You just stopped moving for a bit, Scout," the Spy said, his voice oddly sounding concerned. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" The runner shook his head and replaced the soap with a bottle of standard-issue shampoo. He squeezed a small amount of it into his hand and began to lather up his short hair. A few suds occasionally slid down his neck, and the Spycrab took the opportunity to use them to clean himself. It wasn't as effective as the soap, but it was better than nothing, and he wasn't going to start complaining now.

"You ever gonna tell me how you got cursed?" Scout suddenly blurted out, causing the Spycrab to jump slightly. "Cuz I'd like to avoid gettin' cursed myself, y'know?" He was answered with an annoyed groan.

"I told you before, I cannot tell you. It would be a breach of contract."

"I think you crossed 'dat line when you asked to shower with me." Another groan. Scout shrugged slightly and rinsed the shampoo out of his hair. The Spycrab did the same, standing near the boy's ear and used the water that ran off the lobe of his ear.

"When the time comes, I will tell you," The Spy said into Scout's ear very softly, as if he was addressing a lover. The Scout inhaled sharply as he felt himself blush.

"Don't do that," He whispered.

"Do what?" The Scout shut off the water.

"Talk to me like 'dat. It's freakin' embarrassin'!"

"You are so shy." The Spycrab let out an amused chuckle as the Scout walked back over to his locker and grabbed a towel. "Don't tell me your girlfriend never spoke to you like I did." Scout said nothing, he remained silent as he quickly dried off his lower body and slipped into fresh underwear and pants. "Did...you ever have a girlfriend?" asked the Spycrab, using the concerned tone again, sounding sincere all the while. It was hard to tell if he was acting or not, but the Scout felt like he was being honest.

"Yeah, I had a girlfriend once." He lightly grabbed the crab and placed him next to him on the bench as he dried off his hair.

"I take it didn't end well." Duh! The Scout was a virgin, after all. Even the Bostonian had to roll his eyes at that obvious statement. "Just didn't work out between you two?"

"Kinda. I was the one who broke up with her though." Scout smiled, at least managing to keep a little of his dignity. He still felt a little ridiculous for telling a crab about his past with a girl, although it was rather nice having someone listen to him. The Spycrab softly laughed.

"Good for you." Scout continued smiling, feeling rather proud of himself as he pulled a clean red shirt over his head, standing up almost immediately as he tucked it into his pants and pulling his dogtags onto the surface. "She probably wasn't the one anyway."

"Damn right." The Spy flinched slightly, the Scout's tone quickly changed into a deeper, more upset manner. This struck the Spy's curiosity. He wouldn't admit that he was interested – break-up stories were a guilty pleasure of his. While he refused to share any stories of his own, it was delicious for him to know of failed romances between his teammate and the unlucky woman they hooked up with.

"Would I be overstepping my bounds by asking what was wrong with your girl?" Scout looked at him the corner of his eyes and smirked slightly.

"When da time comes, I'll tell ya."

"Oooohhh!" the Spy groaned and laughed at the same time. "Zhat is BELOW zhe belt, Scout, BE-LOW zhe belt!" The Scout began laughing too, covering his mouth with his hand when he was realized his laughter was echoing in the near-empty room.

"I'm bein' serious," Scout said as he wiped away a tear from his face. "I ain't tellin' you anything more after 'dis till you tell me how you were cursed."

"So, no more juicy RED gossip?"

"You say that as if we're a bunch of women." He paused, before glaring at the Spycrab with an irritated look. "HEY!"

"Well, your teammates do have a preference for spreading rumors." The Spycrab mimicked the gesture of a human shrugging, seeing a crab trying to shrug with lack of shoulders looked a little ridiculous. "Yesterday, I overheard a few of your RED teammates discrediting your Sniper." Scout said nothing. His hand found its way to the back of his head where his bruise was. He winced slightly at the pain. The Spy decided to change the subject. "Tomorrow, you will be back on the field?"

"Yeah." Scout said quickly. "Why do ya ask?"

"Would I be asking too much...for a favor?" Scout sat still on the bench. He wanted to say "no" immediately and be done with it, but the curiosity of what the Spy was going to ask was eating away at him. "What kind of favor? Is it gonna get me killed?"

"If you are careful, no," the Spy answered.

"Careful? So, there is a possibility 'dat I might get killed!"

"It's inside the respawn zone. You will be ok."

"If I do this favor, will you tell me how you were cursed?" The Scout lowered his voice, sounding more serious than ever. The Spycrab out a heavy sigh. As irritating as it was to have this young man badgering him about his curse, part of him felt it was a fair deal. It was going to kill him on the inside, but he was a reasonable man, despite being a BLU mercenary.

"Yes," he answered, very hesitantly. "You do this favor for me, and I will tell you every detail about how I was cursed."

"Alright!" The Scout jumped to his feet. "It's a deal then!" He turned towards the Spycrab, his arms tight at his sides but still moving slightly in small, awkward movements. "So, uh, do we shake hands or something?" The Spycrab chuckled.

"Non. I'll take your word on it."

"Ok, ok." nodded Scout. "So, what do you want me to do?" Before the Spy could answer, a loud bell rang.

"VICTORY! WE HAVE SECURED THE ENEMY INTELLEGENCE!"

Scout couldn't help but smile. Another victory for the RED team, even though he wasn't there to help. He half expected the Spy to let out a shout of anger or something, but the little crab remained quiet and unfazed.

"Let's talk about it in your room," the Spycrab insisted. "I 'ave a feeling we're both going to get an eyeful in a moment."

"Right." The Scout picked up the crab and sprinted out of the shower room. He felt it was his childish curiosity of the Spy's favor that made him run.


	11. Pain

**Chapter 11** – _Pain_

-_BLU Base_-

The BLU Scout was practically tripping over himself as he scrambled throughout the base. With the BLU team on a losing side for the day, the base wasn't as active as it usually was, which made his journey a little easier. His teammates moved out of his way, but – while he wasn't aware of it – shot him looks of disgust and disappointment as he ran past them. While they wouldn't openly admit it, they blamed the young Scout for today's loss.

"SOLDIER!"

The BLU Soldier acted as the BLU team's leader, if anything was to be discussed, announced or reported, it was with him. No exceptions. Scout figured what happened between him and the RED Scout was worth telling his fellow American. With the sudden disappearance of their BLU Spy, any information relating to him was valuable...at to the BLU Scout it was.

"SOLDIER!"

Scout ran up the stairs when he reached the sublevel of the base, practically body slamming the doors to the security room open as he ran. The Soldier jumped when the Scout entered, automatically taking out his shot gun and took aim at the intruder. He groaned and set his gun to side when he saw it was only the youngest soldier in his platoon.

"I though I told you to knock before you came in here!" growled the Solider as the Scout approached him, gasping for air.

"I think...*huff* I think...RED has...," Scout rested one hand on the Soldier's shoulder as he took a moment to catch his breath.

"RED has...what?" The Soldier demanded, he gasped and tensed up. "Oh god! They didn't sneak into the kitchen and take the last piece of the Engineer's apple pie did they? THAT WAS MINE! I called dibs on it! You saw me, correct? You were there! I remember!"

The BLU mercenary shook his head as he took heavy breaths and tried to gain his composure. He heard the Soldier let out a sigh of relief, as he straightened up and took a cautious step back from the older man.

"I think the RED team...might have the Spy." Scout finally said.

"What?" The Soldier's voice lowered, a combination of shock and disbelief. "You sure about that, son?"

"The RED Scout attacked me and went ape shit on me!" began the BLU Scout. " He kept askin' me if I was a virgin and then asked if I could hear someone."

The Soldier flinched. "Yikes! And I though WE were lonely." He cringed. "Oh! He didn't..uh...y'know?"

"What? NO! Dude, that's sick!"

"_Just wonderin'_." The American turned away slightly, trying to hide his disappointment. He looked back at the Scout. "What did me mean by that last part?"

" I dunno. But he brought up the BLU Spy. I...I think they might have him as a hostage!"

The Soldier took a step back, resting his back against the control panel of the Security board. He let out a hard sigh as he rubbed his face with one hand. "I knew this wasn't going to end well." He muttered to himself.

"What are we goin' to do? We-we gotta get him back, man!"

"There's _nothing _ we can do, son," The soldier replied sternly. " We don't negotiate with terrorists."

"They're not terrorists, they're mercenaries, like us! Come on, man, we can't leave Spy hangin' like that!"

With saying a word, the Soldier straightened up and walked past the slightly twitched rookie. The silence alone worried the Scout. Part of him believed the Soldier would fix it, he has in the past. Although his sanity was questionable, the man took care of his team. Granted not in a family sense, but everyone was watched over carefully by the Solder like a hawk. Or a proud American bald eagle, whatever best suited him.

"Hey!" Scout called after him, following him out of the room. "W-W-What are ya gonna do?"

He heard the Soldier mumble something under his breath as they descended down the stairs, but nothing he could understand.

"Sir?"

"I'm going to send in a request form." The Soldier told Scout.

Scout's face lit up. "For reinforcements?"

"For a new spy." he replied sternly.

The BLU Bostonian froze in place as his eyes widened. Soldier didn't stop walking, if he did, he knew the Scout would argue with him. "W-wh-what?" his voice quivered.

He dashed up to his superior and grabbed his arm, jerking him to a sudden halt. "That's it? Y-yer just gonna _abandon_ him!"

Soldier looked at him calmly. "If RED wanted something for his safe return, they would've notified us already," he explained. "Chances are he's not even alive!"

"But-"

"Listen, son," The Soldier wrenched his arm out of the Scout's weak grasp and lightly placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. " He got **himself** into that situation when he gave us those strategy planes in exchange for being the only one allowed to hunt and kill the RED team's Scout."

The BLU Scout bit his lower lip and he nervously rubbed his arms, keeping his head down and eyes locked on his feet.

"It's not fair." He whispered.

"You saw how he drove that kid into insanity," continued the BLU Soldier. " Either our Spy got bored , cuz he drove his target into the coo-coo hut, or the RED Team took care of their Scout's little problem."

"Can...can they _do_ that?" He looked at the Soldier.

"We in a **war**, kiddo, it's **kill** or _be killed_."

When he didn't receive a response, the BLU Soldier patted the Scout on the back before he continued on his way. Scout stood frozen in place, finding it hard to believe all of this was for real. A new spy? A complete stranger to replace the man he once called Team Mate, fellow BLU, brother in arms, his _**friend**_? Already he hated the idea. Would their new spy be exactly like the Spy he knew? He didn't want to think about the new spy, he wanted to old one back!

Scout tried to remain calm as he turned around to walk to his room. It became difficult half-way there when he suddenly leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor in a mixture of anger and grief. Was he the only one who cared? Was it so easy to replace someone pretend the old one never existed? If _he_ died, would they forget about him and just get a new Scout? It was just that easy.

He inhaled deeply before slamming his fist into the concrete wall, only to hurt his hand in the process. No one was around to hear him cry out in pain, but it didn't matter to him. Whimpering, the BLU Scout leaned his back up against the wall as he cradled his injured hand.

"I **hate** this war."


	12. Intel Papers

**Chapter 12** - _Intel Papers_

The hallways echoed with cheers and conversation as the Scout scampered out from the shower room. He immediately sidled up against the wall when a few of his teammates turned a corner, passing him as they all headed to the locker rooms.

"H-Hey fellas!" Scout greeted, trying to act nonchalant. The Spycrab looked up at him with a skeptical look.

"Smooth..." He muttered sarcastically.

"Oh Shut up!" Scout hissed down at the crab.

The RED Spy glared at the Scout. "What did you say, boy?" He demanded.

"Not you!" Scout replied nervously. "I was talkin' to..." He looked down at the Spycrab, reluctantly holding him up to show his teammate. "...t-thi-this crab."

The Frenchman flinched, looking at the little crab with disgust and then looking at the Scout with a look that screamed ' are you *bleep*ing kidding me?'. He didn't say anything though, only letting out a single sarcastic chuckled and turned to walk away. Muttering something under his breath about how weird Americans were. Both the Scout and Spycrab let out a sigh of relief once he was gone.

"One more battle, boys!" The RED Soldier cheered. "One more win and we're movin' up to the Harvest!"

"The Harvest?" Spy tried to hear more of the Soldier's announcement, but the Scout began to walk back towards his room. "Wait! Zhe Soldier!"

Scout turned while walking to see what the Spy was talking about, unintentionally bumping into the Sniper. It was almost déjà vu when the Australian grabbed him by his shoulders.

"Care-ful!" Sniper said sternly. "Yer gonna kill someone if you don't pay attention to where yer goin'!"

"Sorry!" Scout said, rather quickly The Sniper's eyes widened slightly.

"Yer_ apologizing_?" he whispered, sounding a bit impressed.

"Yeah!" Scout retorted. "I can apologize! It's not like I can't speak English or anything! Sheesh! Yer makin' a big deal outta nothin'."

"Oh, no, no!" The Sniper chuckled slightly. "It's just I never 'eard you apologize to me before. I gotta admit...it's rather nice."

"_Hmm_?" The Spycrab glared up at the Sniper, almost swearing he heard a bit of a flirtatious tone in the Sniper's voice.

"It was just an apology, man." Scout tried to walk past the Sniper, but the man could read his movements and stepped in front of him again. "Hey! What gives?"

"Y'know, I could've used that apology a day ago." continued Sniper, this time sounding annoyed.

"You were angry," Scout took a few steps back, noticing how Sniper would occasionally step closer. It was making him uneasy. "And Hard-hat told me not to bother you too much so..."

"Truckie?"

Scout nodded slightly. "Yeah." He paused. "...You seem in a better mood though. Did anyone give you any trouble out there?"

Sniper smiled warmly, it creped out the Scout a bit. The Sniper i_never/i_ smiled at him like that before. It was creepy." Sounds like you really care."

" I **don't**." The runner replied flatly.

The Spycrab spoke up, sounding a bit angry. "This is going to go on forever, Scout," Scout looked down at him. "Just excuse yourself politely and lets go."

"Alright." whispered the Scout.

"Who you talkin' too?" Sniper followed the Scout's gaze and saw the blue colored crab that sat in the Scout's hands. He instantly sneered. "Where did you get **that**?"

"It's the Bl- I mean- th-the Heavy gave it to me...as a gift." Scout explained, raising his arms up so the Sniper could get a better look at the crab.

The Sniper didn't look too impressed, he lifted his aviator glasses slightly to get a more clear look at the little blue crab. He cringed slightly, pulling back. "Eh! Sure is an ugly lookin' one."

"What did you say, you filthy Jarman!" The Spycrab snarled, almost jumping out of the Scout's hands to attack the Sniper, but remembered he wasn't human anymore.

"Hey, settle down!" Scout whispered. Thankfully the Sniper didn't hear him this time. The Spycrab let out a groan as a response and he turned away from the RED Sniper.

" Has unusual markings though," Continued the sharpshooter. " Almost like it's wearin' a mask..." His voice lowered, almost in a questioning tone that came out as a harsh whisper.

Scout spoke up. "Speakin' of masks...uh...you didn't by chance come across the BLU Spy today, did ya?"

Sniper looked at him strangely, at first Scout thought it was anger but at the same time NOT anger. "Why the sudden interest in _that_ wanker?" He asked.

" I've been tryin' to get back at him for the past week! Remember? He kept callin' me a freakin' Bunny?" He heard the Spycrab chuckle a bit evilly, Scout replied to that by lightly pounding his fist on top of the Spycrab. Emanating a loud "Oof!" from him. " I though a couple of shotgun blasts to the face will even the scores, but I haven't been able to fine 'im."

"Oh!" The Sniper's attitude immediately perked up. "Well...no, now that you mention it, I hadn' seen the bloke either. That's rather odd..."

It took a while for the Spycrab to realize what the Scout was doing. The Scout wasn't going to explain to his teammates that the BLU Spy was cursed to take the shape of a blue colored crab. Chances were, he'd be sent to an asylum for doing so. Just pretending nothing happened from the last three days and just continue as if nothing happened. The Spycrab reluctantly admitted he was impressed with the Scout's strategy.

Sniper let out an amused chuckled. " Maybe he up an' quite when you won battle few days ago," Again, the Spycrab glared at the Sniper. It was insulting being talked about, especially when you're right there hearing it.

Scout seemed to have sensed this, feeling the crab grow tense in his hands. "I don't really think that-"

"Always knew that over dressed wuss was a bloody coward! Guess this proves it!"

"Vous!" The Spycrab snarled, unable to control his anger this time. "FILS DE PUTE!"

Without warning, the Spycrab leaped from the Scout's hand. Releasing an enraged battle cry as he flew across the gap between the RED Scout and Sniper. His large claws prepared to do what damage they can to the Sniper as he flew towards the large Australian.

The 'fight' ended as quickly as it began with the Spycrab dangling helplessly to the Sniper's red colored shirt. Mumbling curses under his breath as he clung onto the dusty fabric with his claws for dear life. He was semi-thankful the Sniper wasn't able to hear him, or else this probably would've been the most humiliating moment of his career. It was a very pathetic sight.

The Scout, during this time, didn't know how to react. He had heard the Spy getting frustrated as the Sniper insulted him, but he never expected the Spycrab to try to attack the man. The whole thing was... a little embarrassing, especially when the Sniper looked down at the crab and then looked at him with a confused look.

"Oh," Scout began, trying to come up with an excuse for this. "It...uh...It-It likes you."

"I most certainly do **NOT**!" The Spycrab hissed.

The Sniper didn't say anything, which was probably for the best since everything was getting more and more awkward. Clearing this throat, the Scout lightly pulled the Spycrab off the Sniper's shirt and silently excused himself. Sniper kept his eyes on the Scout as the Bostonian walked around him and practically ran down the hallway towards his bedroom.

"Weird..." The Australian finally muttered.

He was almost about to turn and follow after the Scout when a gloved hand grabbed his shoulder. "Hey there, Tex!" Is was the Engineer. "Where ya'll goin'?"

"Nowhere," answered the Sniper, looking down at his teammate. It was hard to hide the disappointment in his voice.

The Engineer immediately frowned as he pulled his goggles off his eyes and rested them on his forehead. "Those fellers aren't givin' you trouble, are they?" He asked. Sniper shrugged. "Ah ignore 'em! They're just bein' a bunch of sissies."

"Naw, they ain't bo'herin' me," Sniper forced himself to as he chose to follow the Engineer instead. The man was the only one who didn't believe the rumors that spread around the base, and he was also the only one whom the Sniper considered a friend. "Hey, Truckie?" The Texan looked at him. "Where'd I go wrong?"

"Hey, now don't you dare go there again! You hear me?" replied the Engineer sternly, facing the man and shaking a finger at him. "What happened three days ago was a fluke, nothin' could've been done to avoid it. Now cheer up."

"I guess...but-"

"Nope! I don't wanna hear it!" The Engineer interrupted, sounding rather jovial for some reason. "Now smile, damnit." Sniper did so, not because he was told too, but it was very contagious hanging around an overly optimistic person such as the Engineer. A little of his cheerfulness was rubbing off onto him. It felt nice to smile and laugh again.

"Thanks, Truckie."

* * *

It was a quiet trip back to the Scout's room. Neither one of them spoke a word to each other until they safe inside and the door shut closed.

"What the hell was **that**?" The Scout snapped at the Spycrab. " You frikkin' did that on purpose!"

The Spycrab only let out a huff as a response. "Had I not been a crab, your team would be short one Sniper."

"Whao, whao, WHAO!" Scout turned and lightly tossed the Spycrab onto the bed. "Where did THAT come from? If you want my help, you gotta stop plotting 'bout killin' my teammates when you become human again, got it?."

"Forgive me," Spy sighed. "Your Sniper tends to bring out the worst in me."

The Scout sat on the edge of his bed, his weight - although not by much- made the bed dip a bit, causing the Spycrab to slid down and bump up against the side of the Scout's leg.

"What is it with spies and snipers? Why do you two naturally hate each other?" Scout twitched slightly as the Spycrab crawled up the side of his leg and into his lap.

"I'm honestly not sure how to answer that," Spy said. "It's complicated to explain in words."

"Whatever," The Scout groaned as he laid back on his arms. Trying to forget the encounter with the Sniper. "So...about that favor you want me to do..."

"Ah, yes, thank you for reminding me," He muttered, crawling up onto the Scout's stomach so he could be heard better. " There's something in my room that I need."

"What is it?" Scout asked, sounding curious.

"It's nothing dangerous, if that's what your worried about."

Scout frowned. "I'm ain't worried, I just wanna know what it is."

"Well, I'm not telling you," Spy replied in a mocking tone. "If you knew what it was, you'd - how would you say...- 'punk out' on me."

"Is it embarrassing?" Scout asked. Spy looked peeved.

"No." He answered quickly.

Scout smiled smugly. "It is, isn't it?"

"Oh hush!" The Spycrab mumbled, tuning away from the Scout. Scout meanly smiled and chuckled, at least he wasn't going to be alone for a while.

* * *

-_The Next Morning_-

"BEGIN!"

The RED Scout was the first to run out onto the battlefield. Despite the fact that he snuck onto the field yesterday to search for his BLU counterpart, he still felt alive and free knowing that he was no longer on suspension. He kept one hand clinging to the bill of his hat, due to the Spycrab taking shelter there again. His teammates already were eating his dust (figuratively) once he took his usually route into the BLU Base. Over the bridge, though the hallways and towards the Intel room.

The BLU Spy did his part by telling the Scout about several routes though the BLU base that non of his BLU teammates took, or often over look. This kept him hidden from BLU mercenaries that stayed behind to guard the base as well as the Intelligence briefcase.

Whenever the Scout would pause from running, the Spycrab would pop his head out from the Scout's hat and look around, occasionally giving telling the Bostonian where to go next. Although the Scout wouldn't admit it, he was rather surprised at how good of a team he and the Spy was. Too bad the RED Spy too proud of man to ever agree to working with him like he and the BLU Spy were. Then again, the BLU Spy was cursed as a crab and working with him was more convenient then working with an actual human.

Once the Scout reached the Intel room, he was about to make another turn so it would lead him to the corridor that lead up to the living quarters for the BLU Team. It took a lot of willpower not to grab the briefcase and run.

"Wait!" The Spycrab stopped him before he could move.

"What?" Scout whispered, trying to remain quiet at all times so he wasn't caught by the patrolling BLUs.

" Place me on the briefcase." Ordered the Spy.

"Why?"

"I want to look through it."

"Huh?" The Scout didn't understand what was going on in the Spycrab's head, but he reluctantly walked over to the desk and reached for the case.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!" Hissed the crab. Scout cringed at the level of his voiced yelled into his ear. "YOU'LL SET OFF THE ALARMS!"

"OW!" retorted the Scout, glaring at the crab that was now crawling from his head down his arm towards the blue briefcase. "What are you doin'?"

He watched the Spycrab pulling himself on top of the case and scuttled towards the keypad on it. It was interesting seeing the little crab stand on the pad and suddenly dance over the keys in a strange fashion, but it was evident he was typing in the code when there was a sudden beep and the case clicked open.

Scout flinched. "Shit, you can OPEN those things?"

"Of course," The Spycrab nodded as he climbed onto the desk and pushed the case open slightly with his claws. " Why? Haven't you opened your own intel case before?"

"Not really," admitted Scout. "Usually we just leave our case alone, and once we get the intel from an enemy base, we immediately send it off to our boss. So, we never got a chance to read any of the actually shit inside those cases."

"Well, I'm just checking to see if my teammates are aware that I am missing," Spy explained as he hopped into the case.. "Whatever is mailed or received is copied and placed in here."

"Anything I can do?"

"Non. You can go ahead and claim that item I need in my room." Spy said. "You'll find it under my pillow."

"Alright..." Scout was slightly annoyed that the Spy was treating him like a servant. They were going to have to talk about** that** later.

He sighed as he turned to leave, hearing nothing else but the sound of the crab mumbling to himself in French as he shifted through papers.

* * *

Scout was thankful the BLU base and RED base were practically identical in structure. The only different was that the BLU base looked like it was made of cement while the RED was made with wood. All in all, it was easy to navigate through the living quarters and locate the bedrooms. It took a while to find the Spy's room, however, the Spycrab never specified where his bedroom was and the Scout was left to figure out which one was by himself.

After a few minutes and about eight doors opened, the RED Scout finally came across a room he believed belonged to the Spy. It was evident by the strong stench of burnt cigarettes and expensive cologne. A **horrible** combination.

What concerned the Scout, though, was that the Spy's room was practically empty. The larger furniture, like the desk and bed, were left untouched but everything else were in boxes. Near the closet was a tall and wide box that was filled to the top with blue colored pin-striped suits. Sitting on the chair near the desk was another box filled with papers, fancy ink fountains and several pictures. Scout stood in the middle of the room, looking around very a look of sorrow on his face.

"_They know he's gone_," He thought to himself. "_And they're not expecting him to return either_."

He felt sorry for the Spy before; When he was begging for his help while the Medic was ushering him out the door. But as he stood there in the near empty room, he felt almost empty inside. Without knowing it, he placed the tips of his fingers on his chest. A sharp pain?

Scout forced himself to focus on his mission. The Spy was probably going to find out later anyway, no skin off his back. With a sigh, the Scout located the Spy's bed. It remained untouched, although the covered were folded nearly on top of the mattress. He walked over and pulled away the pillows, a bit too eagerly, pretty excited to know what the Spy wanted him to risk his life for.

He frowned almost immediately as he looked down at the off white mattress. A single box of cigarettes lay there.

"Oh, you have GOT to be fucking kidding me!" He almost screamed as he reached down and picked up the small plastic package. "Cigarettes? He sent me on a wild goose chase for a box of frearkin' cigarettes?"

"Wh-What are you doin' here?" A voice said behind him.

The Scout jerked around, spotting his BLU counterpart standing at the door way. His eyes were wide open in disbelieve. The RED Scout immediately wondered why the BLU Scout was in the living quarters during the battle, but his question was immediately answered when he saw the BLU Scout's arm in an arm brace. "_How did he hurt himself?_"

"Um..." He began.

"You...!" The BLU Scout snarled as his eyes catching sight of the Spy's cigarette box in the RED Scout's hands. "You son of a friggin' BITCH!"

Before the RED Scout could react, the BLU Scout had lunged himself at him. Grabbing him by the neck and pushing him down to the floor. Despite having an injured hand, he had a surprisingly tight grip. The RED Scout tried to explain what he was doing in the Spy's room, but he only able to let out a strangled cough.

"It's all your fault!" The BLU Scout yelled. The RED Scout tried pulling the other Scout's hands off his neck, but couldn't. "It's your fault he's gone!"

The RED Scout didn't know what he was talking about nor did he really care. His main concern was getting his counterpart off him and out of there. It was getting very difficult to understand what the BLU Scout was yelling at him, could've been from lack of air or just lack of interest. Scout made sure to keep his breathing to a minimal as he continued trying to pry the BLU Scout's hands off his neck, but then used his left arm to search around the area for anything. Anything he could use to swat the other Scout off him. It didn't take long for the tips of his fingers to touch a cold, tin object. Without hesitation, he grabbed it and used what energy he had to smash it into side of the BLU Scout's head.

"AUGH!" the BLU cried out as he was thrown to the side.

The RED Scout gasped for air as he jumped to his feet, seeing that the object he grabbed was a small waste basket turned on it's side. He tossed to away as he dashed for the door, not bothering to see if his BLU counterpart was going to follow him for not. He just wanted to get out of there before more BLUs showed up. The only thing he could he as he ran through the hallways was the BLU Scout's whimpering and sniffing as it grew more faint the closer he came to the battlefield.

* * *

Scout couldn't help but curse to himself when he noticed that during the whole time the BLU Scout tried to kill him, he still had the Spy's cigarettes in hand. No wonder he had trouble getting the BLU Scout off him. That wasn't what bothered him though. It was the fact the BLU Spy nearly sent him to his death (although he would've come back via Respawn) over a simple pack of cigarettes! The Spycrab could've asked him to ask the RED Spy for some, but NO! He just had to make a chore of it for the Scout.

He was just about to turn the corner towards the Intel room when a gunshot ran out. The Scout flinched when he saw a chuck of the corner shatter before his eyes. Instinctively, he turned towards the direction of the gunshot, spotting the BLU Sniper standing not too far away from him, his rifle aiming for his head.

"Ah Shit!"

Before the BLU Sniper could pull the trigger, the Scout dashed off again, avoiding the next bullet by the skin on his teeth. He shoved the cigarettes into his pocket as he ran.

"BUGGER!" He heard the Sniper yell.

Scout picked up the pace as he ran towards the Intel room, he knew reinforcements were coming. He was blaming the Spycrab for all this. A few more BLU showed up just as he reached the Intel room.

"Whoa!" He almost slid on a piece of paper that was dropped onto the floor. Scout cringed when he saw the briefcase still wide open and the Spycrab standing in the center of it, looking at papers and throwing them idly to the side. "What the hell are you doin'?"

"It's not here," The Spycrab mumbled to himself, tossing another document to the side. "That's good though! It means that- wait!" He picked up a document that was printed on faded yellow paper, he struggled to hold it properly with his large claws. " Addressed to the Administer of the Builders League United. Dear Madam, this is a request form for the BLU team dated October 15, 1968, due to unexplainable circumstances the BLU team requires a replacement for the-"

"We don't have time for that!" The Scout interrupted as he lifted the Spycrab out of the briefcase and stuffed most of the papers he picked up back into the case. "We gotta be get out of here!"

"But-" The Spycrab wasn't able to finish his sentence as the Scout slammed the case shut and slid it onto his back.

"ALERT! THE ENEMY HAS TAKEN OUR INTELLEGENCE!"

The Scout held the Spycrab in his hands as he ran from the room, hearing the heavy footsteps of the BLU Heavy coming his way. Even with his speed, he was no match for that giant.

"Scout?" The Spycrab found it hard to talk in the Scout's hands while the boy was running. "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?" The Scout panted, running as fast as he could through the BLU Base.

"Non! Don't take this hallway!" He warned, sounding a bit panicked.

The Scout ignored him, he was still upset with the cursed BLU Spy to listen to him. Getting out of the base wasn't going to be a problem, he's done this before, and succeeded. A few times. He grunted as he took a sharp turn into another corridor when the BLU Heavy opened fire on him. Scout hissed as a bullet scraped the surface of his arm and he dodged the man's turret guns.

"Scout, please listen to me," The Spycrab continued. "Don't go this way!"

"Are you tryin' to get me to loose?" demanded the Scout as he ran faster.

"Non! Honest, I am not!"

"Yer lying!"

"What do I have to gain from causing you to loose?" The Spy replied softly. "I've already lost everything else..."

The Scout remained quiet, he kept his mind focused on running but he couldn't help feel that little sharp pain in his chest again. What was that? Growling to himself, the Scout picked up the pace again, trying to get out of the BLU base and quickly into his own.

Scout winced slightly when he ran out into the courtyard, almost deafened as well by the shouting and gunshots from his teammates and enemy BLUs. The Spycrab remained quiet, he didn't want to distract the Scout anymore since he was so intent on getting done with the battle. Running across the bridge, the Scout grinned to himself. Three days off the field and he still got it! No enemy Spy to kill him, like always, and no annoying BLU Scouts to distract him. Easy win!

Suddenly, there was a gasp from the Spycrab. "Scout, duck down!" He yelled.

The Scout jerked back into reality, he didn't hear the Spy's warning as he was reaching the end of the bridge. " Huh? What't did yo-"

Silence. The Scout's eye widened as he began to fall forward. The Spycrab couldn't do anything but stare up in horror at the gapping red hole that sat on the Scout's forehead and the matching red blood flowing down his face.

The Blu Sniper.

The Spycrab tried to warn the RED Scout about this, he really did. The boy wouldn't listen.

The blue Spycrab had to jump from the Scout's hands to avoid the large boy landing on top of him. "OOF!" The ground wasn't as forgiving.

There wasn't anything he could do to help the situation, seeing how he was just a fat little round crab. He looked at the body of the RED Scout, the look of pain and doubt plastered on his face as the blood continued to flow from the bullet wound and onto the ground.

"Merde..." The Spycrab sighed, his own voice cracking.

He scuttled over to the Scout's body, practically limping due to the jump. He froze when he spotted the same faded yellow paper sticking out from the corner of the blue briefcase that remained on the Scout's back. Immediately, he switched from walking over to the Scout to reclaiming that document.

"Pitiful, just plain pitiful."

The Spycrab looked up and saw the BLU Engineer and Sniper looming over the RED Scout's corpse. Panic began to flow through him as he made a jump for the document and began to pull with all his might to claim the form. It was still deep in the briefcase, but he managed to get it to slide out very slowly.

"Poor kid didn't stand a chance." The BLU Engineer commented as the Sniper leaned down and picked up the briefcase, pulling the Spycrab up with it.

"Oi! Git off ya nasty parasite!" The BLU Sniper hissed as he swatted the crab off the paper. The Spycrab unwillingly let go and landed on the back of the Scout's corpse. "Ugh! disgusting."

Spy remained quiet, starring up with a hurt look on his face as he watch his two former teammates turn and walk away from him. It hurt seeing two of his closest friends in BLU treat him like an insect and just walk away like he didn't exist anymore. Did they know he was gone? Why weren't they looking for him?

He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh, trying his hardest not to show emotions that would be mistaken as weakness. It was hard to do such a thing. Slowly, he looked back at the Scout, letting out another sigh as he slid down the Bostonian's side and scuttled very slowly towards the Scout's face. He was almost convinced the Scout's eyes were saying '_why_?'. The Spycrab sighed yet again, nuzzling up against the Scout's forehead and sitting himself on the ground next to the boy.

"Scout..." He said softly, his own voice shaking. "Why didn't you listen to me?"


	13. Confessions of a cursed crab

**Chapter 13 **- _Confessions of a cursed Spy_

The Scout couldn't help but rub his forehead as he stepped out of Respawn, he just had to made sure the bullet hole wasn't there. Nothing. He was 100% at perfect health. That didn't stop him from shivering thought of the bullet shooting through the back of his head and exiting out through his forehead, he swore he could still feel the bullet in his head.

"_So...he __**was**__ tryin' to warn me_..."

"You alright?"

Scout almost jumped out of his skin, letting out an alarmed yell as he sidled up to the nearest locker of the Spawn room. It was the RED Engineer, sitting on the benches and looking a bit depressed.

"Uh...yeah...I'm fine," The Scout was a bit irritated at being shot just as he was about to enter the RED base. "What are you doin' here? Why aren't you out there doing...y'know...engineer stuff."

Engineer shrugged. " BLU Pyro snuck up on me while I was erecting a dispenser and-" The Scout giggled. "What is so gosh dang funny?" Demanded the Texan.

"You said 'erecting'." Scout snorted.

"Well I don't see what's so funny abou- oh right...because it's close to the word 'erection' I see..heh, that **is** funny." The Engineer chuckled as well.

The Scout mumbled to himself when he realized there was a battle still going on, and the Spycrab was out there as well, totally vulnerable to flying bullets or being stepped on. At this point, since they were low on time, trying to reclaim the Intelligence would be pointless since the battle would end before he could the base. Saving the Spycrab from an unfortunate accident would be the least he could do for at least attempting to warn the Scout of an attacking BLU.

"I gotta go." He said quickly announced as he began to walk quickly across the locker room.

The Engineer quickly grabbed the Scout by the arm, the Bostonian half glared at his teammate. "Can...can I ask you a question?" The Engineer asked, sounding a bit nervous to even be talking to the Scout in the first place.

Scout didn't answer. He was curious about the Engineer's sudden depressed state, but at the same time he was in a hurry to get to the Spycrab. The Texan took the Scout's silence as a 'yes'.

"Have you ever...y'know...knew someone fer a while, an' then started to...care for them?" The Engineer asked, trying to find the right words to make sense for the Scout. "But they...cared...for someone else?"

"Uhh..." Scout was clueless. "Are we - like- talking 'bout food here or somethin'?"

There was a slight moment of silence before the Engineer sighed and released the Scout's arm.

"Ah, it's nothin'," He chuckled, although it was forced laugh. "Now that I think about it...it's just a silly question."

"...ok..." The Scout was pretty confused, but he took that as his cue to leave. "You're...you're weird, Hard-Hat."

The RED Engineer waited till the Bostonian was gone before he spoke up. "Yeah," He sighed. " I guess I am."

* * *

The Announcer's voice echoed over the field as she counted down the remaining minutes of the battle. So far, neither side appeared to be winning and it was an evident Stalemate despite BLU's attempts to break through the heavy defenses RED had planned.

The Spycrab hadn't moved from the spot where the Scout's body was. Although it had faded away as the boy respawned from within the RED base, he couldn't help but lack the will to move from his spot. He was fortunate enough that the men on the field have managed to avoid stepping on him during this time. Although the occasional stray bullet would explode into the ground near him, he still stood there unscathed.

He was beginning to lose track of how long he had been cursed; Between the journey it took for him to venture beyond the fortress walls - for reasons he didn't want to think about at the moment - to the number of days it took for him to walk from his destination back to the fort in the form of a crab. And then there were the days he spent with the RED Scout. He had forgotten how long he had a been a crab now, it didn't matter really. The more he thought about it, the more angry he began towards his new form. He hated it!

The Spycrab looked up when a dark shadow loomed over him suddenly. His eyes widened in terror when he saw the BLU Pyro looking down at him, its flamethrower readily aimed at the ground.

"Pyro!" The Spycrab gasped, taking tiny steps back. "Please...please, it's me! The Spy! Please! DON'T ATTACK!"

He got a muffled laugh as a response. The BLU Pyro always was the sadistic one on the BLU team. Eager to attack anything that moved with its weapons, either it be its Flamethrower or Fire Axe.

Judging by the way the Pyro's tinted glass eyes were starring down at him, chances were: The Spycrab was it's next target.

"Non..." The Spycrab shivered, this was NOT how he wanted to die; As a crab. "Please...non..."

He heard the tip of the flamethrower hiss slightly before flames shot out of the nozzle. The Spycrab was thankful his years of running from the RED's Pyro improved his reaction time. He quickly jumped out of the way, although not far due to his tiny little crab legs, before the flames could even though him.

The Pyro let out a hiss as its reflecting eyes followed the blue crab, irritated that it was running from the flames. How insulting.

"Mpphhh mphh mphhhh mphhh mhh~" The Pyro giggled rather evilly. It was like a bad horror movie from the Spy's point of view.

"Non! Go away!"

Scuttling as fast as he could the Spycrab jumped again to dodge the fire Pyro shot at him again. Slowly, he had made his way into the RED Base. The battle was going to be ending soon and hopefully his former BLU teammate would leave as well. There was a low possibility the Firebug would risk getting attacked by a RED over a small little crab. Or would it?

"Merde!" The Spycrab found himself boxed in when he dodge the BLU Pyro's attacks a few more times but ran into a corner of the inner entrance. Caught between two large crates and the wall.

He could hear the Announcer's voice echoing outside. ""Mission ends in thirty seconds."

"Damnit! Why can't she count down faster?"

The BLU Pyro let out a low muffled chuckle as it slowly walked up to the panicking crab. Although the crab's behavior was confusing to the Pyro - no lower life form had ever ran from it before- it was still a treat to have to work for the opportunity to char the little coruscation to its death.

It was hard not to panic as the Pyro drew closer. The Spycrab desperately tried to find a means to escape, but no luck. The crates were pushed up against the wall and it would be next to impossible to squeeze through them. Yet another reason to hate his crab body.

He let out a defeated sigh, there was no use in trying to run when there were no more options for him. Perhaps he could Respawn, he was still technically a BLU. Maybe...just possibly...he would respawn back to his human body! Then he wouldn't have to rely on the RED Scout anymore. However, there was another possibility that he would just die permanently. Either way it happened, at the moment, the blue Spycrab was screwed.

The Pyro looked down at the shaking crab as it lowered it's flamethrower, taking a close-up aim at its target.

"Mrghfrr!" It said deeply.

Suddenly, the Pyro jerked slightly, letting out a muffled cry of pain and clutching it's left shoulder. The Spycrab looked up to see blood seeping through the rubber fingers of the Pyro's glove. Was someone saving him?

" H-Hey, Mumbles!" It was the RED Scout, armed with his pistol. "Pick on someone your own size fer once!"

The BLU Pyro glared at the RED Scout. Before the Pyro could pick up its flamethrower to attempt to kill the Scout instead of the crab, the Scout reacted quickly. Taking a few more shots at the masked mercenary. Again, the Pyro wailed in pain, taking a few steps back due to the impact of the bullets. An opening! This gave the Spycrab to quickly scuttle from the corner to behind the Scout's right foot.

The Pyro quickly recovered, still standing despite the multiple shots to its person. "Murr hurr mphuphurrur, hurr mph phrr." It hissed, sounding extremely angry.

The Spycrab clung onto the Scout's ankle as the Bostonian took a few cautious step back to reload his gun. He could feel the Scout trembling slightly, not that he could blame the young man. The BLU Pyro had that effect on nearly everyone. The Pyro let out another low hiss as it tossed its flamethrower aside and taking out its axe, prepared to attack to this time. Whimpering slightly, the Scout struggled to aim properly at the BLU mercenary. Pyro let out a low muffled chuckle before taking a sudden charge, swinging its axe above it's head to attack the slightly startled runner.

"Oh shit!" The Scout gasped.

A loud gunshot echoed throughout the room. The Scout only flinched and starred in terror as the Pyro paused before predictably (seriously) crumbling underneath its weight and falling to the floor. A deep bullet wound in the back of its head.

The Announcer's voice called out, suddenly. "YOU'VE FAILED! STALEMATE!"

"Merde..." whispered the Spycrab.

Scout looked up from the BLU Pyro's body, quickly spotting the RED Sniper standing at the doorway. His face looked frozen, almost emotionless, yet at the same time...hurt... almost. Scout couldn't tell, he was still shocked at how close the BLU Pyro came to sending him back to respawn.

Sniper remained silent, looking over his shoulder as the rest of the RED members were slowly approaching the base. Without a word, the Sniper walked across the room, keeping his eyes off the Scout and focused on just crossing the room. Scout eyed him curiously, almost expecting him to stop once he reached him, but Sniper only continued towards the stairs. Remaining quiet the whole time.

"Thanks!" Scout called out.

Sniper didn't respond, he only gave the Scout a thumbs-up before disappearing from view. The Bostonian let out a heavy sigh before looking down at the crab that clung to his foot. The Spycrab looked up at the runner with large, watery eyes.

"You came back," The crab said meekly, practically clinging to the boy's leg like a lost child. "Thank you."

"Yeah..." The Scout said softly, taking a look towards where the Sniper went before looking back down at the crab. "Hey...uh...we need to talk."

* * *

- Hours later-

The Spycrab was nuzzled down on his large pillow-bed, waiting for the RED Scout to return from the RED team meeting. Since today's battle was to decide if the two teams were to be transferred to either the Harvest or Sawmill for the month of October, the sudden Stalemate caused difficulties for the decision. Scout muttered something about receiving an earful from their boss, Spy assumed it was the founder of the RED company. At the moment, the Spycrab was too tired to question how rivaling companies came to this agreement. If the RED team won, they would go to Harvest, if BLU won it would be Sawmill.

He couldn't help by smile to himself as he inhaled the Scout's scent from the shirt that remained on the pillow. It was such a guilty pleasure sniffing the boy's shirt, even though he was using it as a blanket while he slept on the pillow. He was going to miss that once he became human again...IF he became human again. The Spycrab let out a slight chuckle, trying to avoid any negative thinking, instead he remembered how the RED Scout walked them both into his room and opted to place the pillow the Spy used as a bed on top of his own bed. It gave the Spy a bit more of a higher look over the Scout's cluttered room. The Spy felt almost like a king. Although why the Scout choose to do that confused him a bit, not that it mattered, he really was enjoying the view.

With the Scout gone, it gave the Spycrab a chance to take a good look at the Scout's room. If you wanted to call it a 'room' that was. It was evident by the lack of a visible floor that the RED Scout didn't care about cleanliness. A theory proven when the Spycrab spotted a large mirror that was crammed behind the desk.

"Strange." The Spycrab thought out loud.

That mirror was most likely standard issue to each and every room for the RED building, the same even applied to BLU. He, himself, had a mirror that matched the Scout's in his room back at BLU. Why the Scout had taken it down off the wall and hide it behind his desk was a mystery.

It occurred to the Spy that he got a look at himself properly since he became a crab. Now was a good opportunity to see for himself what he looked like as a crab.

He slide off the pillow and scuttled behind it, using his large claws to push his temporary-bed off the top of the Scout's bed. He was thankful he was strong enough in crab form to push it at all, then again, it was _just_ a pillow. It slide easily across the top sheets of the bed and landed on the floor with a loud - at least to the Spycrab- Poof! With a smile, the Spycrab took a few steps back before flinging himself off the edge of the bed, landing gently into the pillow on the floor. He felt like a stunt double for a movie.

After shifting off the pillow, the Spy then scuttled across the sea of discarded red colored shirts, tanned pants and putrid smelling socks till he was underneath the desk. Thankfully, it was remained clear of the riff-raff the Scout had scattered around his room. Although it kind of dark under the Scout's desk, the Spycrab could see himself clearly in the mirror.

He didn't smile, it was hard too at what he saw in the reflection: A crab. A fairly oval shaped crab with enormous claws and small beady black eyes. It's flat, hard surface mimicked the color of his mask, it even had the same shade of skin color around its eyes and mouth.

"Disgusting..." The Spy whispered at the reflection, the crab in the mirror mouthed the same word. Almost taunting him. The Spy scowled, this crab...this crab was **him**. A fat little creature that lacked beauty, grace and purpose! He let out a low growl at this reflection he saw, why did he have to look at himself? Why? By reflex, he tightened his claw (curling his hand into a fist if he was human) and pulled back, slamming the tip of his appendance into the mirror!

It cracked.

A few fragments flew from the damaged surface; The reflection was hardly there anymore when the Spycrab removed his slightly split claw. He let out a sigh. The RED Scout was the only one who could hear him, and probably the only one who could lift this curse...possibly. If the purity of being a virgin could return him to his human form...No. He couldn't blame the RED Scout for rejecting to kiss him. Not only had he played unfairly on the field against the Scout, but his appearance alone could turn the **easiest** of individuals off.

The Spy frowned, letting out another sigh as he came to a simple conclusion. "I'm ugly..."

* * *

The RED Scout pushed open his door with his back, his hands were full of various junk food and a couple cans of Bonk! Although the others were having dinner in the living room - excluding the Sniper, who had distanced himself from the others, and the Engineer who's whereabouts were unknown - the Scout had more important things to take care of and decided to have his 'dinner' in his room.

"Shit, what happened here?" He almost dropped his collection on the floor when here saw a small trail of blood starting from the pillow that was on his bed- now on the floor- and leading underneath his desk. Or maybe it started from the desk to the pillow, since there was a rather angry looking Spycrab nestled in the pillow with his claws tucked under him.

"Noz'hing..." The Spycrab mumbled.

"Liar." The Scout spat as he dropped his food lazily onto his bed. The fact the Spy's accent got thick was a clue there was something wrong. "What's up?"

The Spy reluctantly pulled out his injured claw which was bleeding now. "Yikes." responded the Scout.

"Am I...ugly, Scout?" asked the Spycrab, he already knew he was, but he just wanted some reassurance from another human being. A sweet little lie to ease the pain.

"Yeah." The Scout answered almost immediately as he got down on his knees and reached under his bed, pulling out a first-aid kit.

The Spycrab frowned. "Most people try to be comforting when one is hurt."

" I'm still pissed at ya." The Scout shrugged, not looking at the crab as he set the first-aid kit on the bed.

Another heavy sigh. "You usually keep a kit under your bed?" He asked skeptically.

"We all do, it's - like- a rule or somethin'." explained the Scout. It was evident the Scout never used the first-aid kit since it was covered with dust bunnies.

"I see..." The Scout scooped him up again, placing him next to the first-aid kit before digging around for something to help the Spycrab's split claw. "Why are you angry at me this time? What did I do?"

"Tch!" The Scout sneered. " You sent me into your base for a box of friggin' cigarettes! That's why! Y'know, you're lucky we have respawn or I would've died! Like, permanently! And you'd be a crab forever!"

"I am sorry," The Spycrab whispered, although he didn't sound sincere. He was more interested if the Scout got his cigarettes now. "Do you...?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got 'em," the Scout sighed, still a bit annoyed. The Spycrab held out his injured claw as the Scout pulled out a band-aid.

"Thank you, Scout." The Spy smiled slightly as the Scout fiddled with the band-aid, finding it a bit difficult to place a medical strip on a crab's claw. After a few attempts, he managed to bet the bandage on.

The Scout let out a groan as he flung his upper body lazily on his bed, tired of the battle and his encounter with the Pyro. The Spycrab smirked as he noticed the box of cigarettes poking out of the Scout's pocket, he couldn't help but lick his lips as he scuttled over and claim his precious box of smokes.

"Just don't smoke those inside the base, ok?," The Scout mumbled, his voice muffled due to his face being buried in his bed sheets. "I'd like to keep my lungs, _thank you_."

"That sound fair." The Spy smiled as he hugged the large box.

"You owe me one," Scout said. "BIG time."

"Oh... I...I suppose I do," The Spy said softly.

Almost pathetically, the Scout pulled the rest of his body into his bed and he rolled onto his back, resting his head against his pillows. "Could you tell me later though? I need to know something else first."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Well," The Scout rested his hands on his stomach. "When I was in the BLU Base, I ran into the BLU Scout..." The Spycrab nestled into the pillow next to the Scout's head. " and he kind of went crazy on me."

"That would explain the bruises you had on your neck earlier." The Spy noted, Scout looked at him. "Don't worry, they're gone now."

" Good," Scout faced the ceiling again. "Anyway, while he was tryin' to kill me, he kept screaming that it was my fault you were gone." Spy froze. "So...you wanna shed some light on why he might think that? Cuz I'm pretty sure I'm** not** the one who cursed ya,"

Silence. The Spycrab looked away when the Scout looked at him again. After a moment of waiting, the Scout poked the Spycrab. He let out a groan.

"It's...embarrassing to say." The Spycrab finally said.

"I'm the only one who can hear you...so I think yer secret's safe wit' me." The Scout shrugged.

"It...it involves** you**."

"Me?"

He nodded. "Wh-why me?" asked Scout, sitting up.

The little blue crab looked up at the Bostonian, looking a bit shameful. "It...it happened many months ago...a year and three months actually," He began. "You see...I take pride in my job, when it's taking out an enemy sentry, creating a diversion or as simple as just killing a man, I do** not **make mistakes! When I kill a man, all it takes is **one** bullet or a swift stab to a vital organ!"

Scout nodded, sneering a bit at how full of himself the Spy was; Then again, his own Spy was just as cocky.

" Taking out each class in your team was easy, they were slow, predictable and weak!" Spy continued. "Till it was your turn..."

"My turn?" Scout repeated.

"Oui, sometimes I like to take out an opponent in a certain order."

"That's stupid."

"That's called a strategy."

"Oh."

"Anyway, it was a slow day and I had already sent half of your team to respawn, and you were my next target. I had planned to backstab you like I have with your other teammates..." He paused slightly. "...but...I couldn't."

"Why? Because you realized you were gay for me and decided you couldn't kill someone you were i-"

"No, I _couldn't_ because you kept running around like the hyperactive idiot that you are," Spy didn't look impressed with the Scout's accusation. "I couldn't keep up with you in order to kill you."

"Oh..." The Scout bit his lower lip, feeling like an idiot.

"As I was saying...I was unable to kill you that day, and my strategy was thrown completely off track because of that. I needed to kill you before I could move on with my next plan! So...," he thought how he was going to word the next sentence. " I...guess you could say...I grew obsessed...with killing **you**...and _only_ **you**. You provided me with a challenge. You were the only one to outrun my gun and knife. Every time I defeated you, you would always come back with a new approach and a new opportunity for me to bring you down."

"How_** flattering**_." Scout said sarcastically, furrowing his brow. "But what does that have to do with the BLU Scout blaming me?"

"Well, as this...obsession grew...I made a deal with my team. As you should know, I'm quite intelligent-"

"That's debatable." Interrupted the Scout.

"HUSH! IT IZ RUDE TO INTERUPT PEOPLE!"

"Ok, ok, sheesh."

" As I said, I made a deal with my team. I give them successful strategies to win battles, and they will refrain from targeting you."

The Scout was silent, but his face looked a bit impressed.

"The only one who was allowed to kill you...was **me**." The Spy said in a dark tone, a deadly grin spreading across his face.

Scout's left eye twitched slightly. "So...all those times...your team won those battles...and all the times you humiliated me...it was because YOU WERE FREAKIN' **STALKING ME**?" The Scout tried not to scream at the top of his lungs, which was difficult.

" I wasn't stalking you," The Spycrab said defensively. "I was...just killing you every time there was a battle. Understand?"

"Oh my god." Scout covered his face with his hands as he flopped back against his bed. "Un-freakin' believable! No wonder the BLU Scout thinks you eloped with me!"

"Did he really think that?"

"No, but he attacked me because he blames **me** for you bein' gone."

"That boy..." The Spycrab smiled softly, letting out a light sigh. "He misses me."

Scout parted his fingers as he eyed the Spycrab. "There somethin' goin' on between you and that guy?" He asked, a bit harshly.

"You sound jealous." The Spy noted.

"I'm **not**!" Scout crossed his arms and shifted onto his side, his back turned to the crab.

Spy let out a low chuckle. "To answer your question, no, there's nothing between him and I." Scout looked at him over his shoulder, looking relieved. " I was just there for him when the news of your Spy and his mother was announced. The others were giving him a hard time for that..."

"Just like my team towards the Sniper." Scout sighed.

The runner laid on his back again. The Spycrab nuzzled up against the Scout's neck, making the boy twitch slightly. "That's still weird." He whispered.

"Thank you for coming back for me," He said. "_And_ for retrieving my cigarettes."

"You tried to warn me," Scout muttered. "I should've listened to you."

Another chuckle. "You're a RED, it's natural to not trust a BLU, even if he is just a crab."

"I know...but-"

"You want me to tell you how I was cursed now?" Spy interrupted, getting even for the Scout interrupting him.

"Nah," Scout yawned. "It's late and I'm tired. Tell me later."

The Spycrab expected the Scout to pick him up and set him on his pillow that remained on the floor. Nothing. The Scout already had his eyes closed and he was breathing in deeply as he rested on his bed. Spy smiled as he snuggled himself in the crook of the Scout's neck, his smile widening as he inhaled the Scout's scene. Oddly, it was sweeter then the scent that remained on the shirt.

"Bonne nuit," He whispered into the Scout's ear. "Mon Petite... Princess."

"...'m not a princess..." The Scout replied groggily, his speech slurred by fatigue.


	14. Betrayal of Trust

**Chapter 14** - _Betrayal of trust_

The Spycrab awoke to an unfamiliar sound. Most likely the RED Medic and his terrible whistling skills was the Spycrab's first guess. Then again, the Medic didn't sound like... a truck? Half-awake, he looked around for clock or something to check to see what time it was. There was nothing on the Scout's walls except for a few pro-RED and baseball posters.

"Damnit, Scout." He yawned and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes with his good claw. The other claw was still sore from his attack against his own reflection.

Very clumsily, he removed himself from the crook of the Scout's neck and scuttled across the bed and lazily walked off the edge, conveniently landing on the discarded pillow he had slept on the other day. A few slurred curses in French before the Spy finally landed on the hard floor and scampered up to the chair of the desk. He was lucky the Scout had thrown a shirt across the seat of the chair of else he wouldn't of had something to climb up. By this time, he was getting better at using his crab body to his advantage. Those large claws were_ much_ stronger than his tiny little hands he had as a human.

The Spy grunted as he pulled himself onto the flat surface of the desk. It took him a few seconds to realize what he had done by this point; He got from the Scout's bed all the way up to the desk by_ himself_. A frustrated growl escaped his mouth. Honestly, he never expected to get use to his body, he never wanted to anyway. The Spy was born a human, and he wanted to die as one. Although he wouldn't admit it, he feared if he got use to his crab form, he would lose interest in becoming human. Then again, being a small little helpless crab gave him the advantage of remaining close to the RED-

"NON!" He hit the top of his crab shell with both claws, getting the thought out of his head. " _When this is over, I'm returning to BLU, nothing more_! _Right_?" He glanced over at the slumbering RED Scout. "Nothing...more..."

Although it was faint, he heard voices from outside. Back to business. The Spycrab struggled some more getting on top of the windowsill. A few jumps made it obvious that he was too short. Damn his short crabby legs! That didn't stop him though, he was a smart man...crab...he could figure out how to up there. He quickly searched the desk for something he could use to give him a boost. The Scout's desk was just as out of order as the floor. Papers everywhere, most of them were blank or just slightly torn of letters from his mom or brothers.

"_Cute_." The Spy thought to himself.

There were various pencils of different size and condition and only one pen that seemed to be treated far better then the pencils. Perhaps that pen was a gift. The Scout certainly seemed to treat gifts better then things he either earned or bought with his own money.

After seeing paperclips that were bend into shapes or objects, the Spy just had to let out a disappointed sigh. Why the Scout even had a desk in the first place was beyond his knowing.

In the end, the Spycrab ended up using an empty tissue box as a boost. The fact that the tissues were gone and he found the box next to a bottle of lotion gave the Spycrab a **very** disturbing idea of what happened to all the tissues in the first place. He couldn't help but cringe at the thought as he pushed the box across the mess of papers to up against the wall. Although he found himself licking his lips at the same time.

With another grunt, the Spycrab finally got himself up onto the windowsill, slightly hesitating to know what was going on outside.

His little beady eyes widened in horror as he caught the quick sight of a pickup truck driving off, the letters '_TF Industries'_ painted on the tailgate. He remembered when he first joined BLU, they drove him out in a truck just like that. While it never drove onto the field itself, it remained on the other side of the fence that boarded the fort and parked near a gate that the driver had a key for. Once a mercenary got onto the field, they were on their own.

That wasn't what the Spycrab was focused on though. He could watch with hurt eyes as he watched his former BLU teammates filing out of the base, smiling and greeting the new BLU Spy that stood outside with suitcase in hand.

"No..." The Spycrab whispered.

The BLU Soldier was the first to reach the new Spy, an unusually happy grin on his face as he reached out a hand and shook the Spy's hand very eagerly. He couldn't tell what they were saying, he wished he could read lips. All he could see was the Solder talking and laughing with the new BLU Spy before the Soldier gestured to the rest of the BLU members. Each one shook hands with the new Spy with a smile and a nod.

"No..." Repeated the Spycrab, his voice shaking.

His attention almost immediately caught sight of the BLU Scout, who was slightly hiding behind the BLU Medic, looking a bit upset. The BLU Medic turned to the Scout, mouthing something and nodding his head towards the new Spy, the Scout only sneered in response. Eventually the new Spy walked up to the Medic and Scout. The Medic smiled before pushing the Scout in front of him and said something. The Spycrab watched as the new Spy smiled and mostly likely said something nice like 'it's a pleasure to meet you, I hope we work well together' and held out his hand for a handshake with the young man. The BLU Scout's nose wrinkled as he slapped the Spy's hand away and yelled something at the new Spy before running back into the base. The BLU Medic nervously looked at the Spy as he followed after the Scout.

The Spycrab couldn't help but smile, he was still upset and felt betrayed the he was replaced by another Spy. But the fact that the BLU Scout refused to accept the Spy so easily relieved him a bit. It felt good being missed by at least **one** of his teammates. He missed the BLU Scout as well. While he was close with his other teammates, he was more close with the BLU Runner than the others.

He jumped slightly when he heard the RED Scout let out a groan as he shifted onto his stomach. The boy practically jumped awake when he landed on his 'dinner', the bags of chips crunching loudly underneath his weight.

"AH JEEZE!" The Scout shifted again and he landed on the floor. He let out an embarrassed sigh as he laid on the floor for a bit before he sat up. Scout saw the Spycrab looking at him from the windowsill. "How'd you get there?"

No answer. The Spycrab looked down a bit before looking out the window again. Scout raised an eyebrow as he picking himself up onto his feet and walked over to see what was going on. He only managed to see the last of the BLUs file back into their base.

"What's goin' on?" Scout asked.

"They...replaced me." answered Spy.

"Crap! You serious?" Scout tried to sound like he wasn't expecting that to happen. Although from what he saw yesterday when he retrieved the Spy's cigarettes, he kind of knew it was.

The Spycrab nodded. Scout bit his lower lip. "Sorry, man." He didn't exactly know how to react since the RED team never had to replace a member before.

"Crab," The Spy corrected, letting out a sigh as he sat down. "They don't need me anymore. Scout, you can just release me outside and-" Scout let out a growl.

"HEY!" The Scout lightly punched the Spycrab on the head. "What the hell? Yer just gonna **quit**? After all the shit you put me through? No way!" The Spy looked up at him, looking surprised and confused. "Nu-uh! That _**ain't **_ gonna happen! I didn't got through four days of hell with the Sniper being accused of being a fag, the others thinking' I'm insane, and the BLU Scout unintentionally tellin' me he's not a virgin for your to just GIVE UP LIKE A **FUCKIN'**_** PUSSY**_!" The Scout was yelling at this point.

The Scout settled down finally, he was panting heavily as he glared at the Spycrab, who continued to stare up at the Scout in shock. Neither one of them said anything for a while. What _was_ there to say?

"Yer a selfish asshole." The Scout finally said. That seemed to hit the Spycrab the most.

There was another moment of silence before there came a knock on the door. The Scout turned.

"Scout?" Is the Soldier. "You alright in there, boy?"

The Scout took a final glare at the Spycrab before walking over to open his door. The Soldier looked at the Scout curiously through his helmet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," The Scout lied. "I...uh...I just saw BLU receive a new Spy and I got a little upset."

"Ah, Engie saw that earlier, can't blame you for yellin'." The Soldier agreed.

" You need somethin'?"

"Yeah, the Administrator stepped in to help decide if we're going to Harvest or not for the October month," The Soldier explained. "We're needed in the Meeting room."

"I'm comin'," The Scout grabbed his shoes before following after the Soldier. He needed to get away from the Spycrab, he was beyond mad this time.

"Well? What are you waitin' for? RUN, MAGGOT!" bellowed the Soldier.

* * *

The Spycrab didn't know what to do. With the BLU team with a new Spy, would they even take him back if he became human again? Or would he be rejected? That wasn't what bothered him though. Although he was concerned about what was going to happen, he couldn't help but agree with what the Scout said. He was thinking only of himself during this whole time.

Even though he was a crab now, up till now, he bossed the Scout around. Sure, it helped keep the Scout alive on the field, but it was against the nature of a Scout to hide or slink around like...a Spy. Not only that, but it was just dangerous when he asked the Scout to get his box of cigarettes. Had other members been around with the BLU Scout, the RED Scout could've been captured and held in the BLU base as a prisoner. Perhaps even tortured or worse. The RED Scout had gone beyond just helping him just for getting a free kill in the end. He was even risking healthy interactions with his own teammates just to avoid getting stray looks from them when he talked to the Spycrab. Why the Scout was even helping him in the first place confused the Spycrab.

Spy let out a slight growl. As much as it annoyed him to admit someone else was right, the Scout...was right about him. He was selfish. And because he was selfish, he didn't like the fact that the new Spy was going to be sleeping in **his** room, talking to **his** teammates, wearing **his** expensive blue color imported pinstripe suits, and attempting to hunt down and kill **his** RED Scout.

"No," The Spycrab growled. "I won't allow that to happen."

He cursed to himself when he realized in order to become human right away to reclaim his spot in the BLU team, he was going to have to sink to pretty low terms to get the RED Scout to kiss him. Very. Desperate. Means.

* * *

It took the Spycrab a while to get down from the windowsill. In the end, the Spycrab ending up jumping from where he stood and landing in a pile of dirty clothes. That was one scent on the Scout he wished he never knew, the sweaty side.

He was thankful the Scout had left his bedroom door open or else the Spy's plan would've ended horribly - by not happening at all. The Spycrab pushed the door fully open with his large claws and then scuttled into the hallway.

No one was around, thankfully. Spy assumed there were all at the meeting. Had he been human, he would've taken the opportunity the listen in and report to his teammates what he heard. That wasn't important now. He was still a crab and he had a plan to work out. If it all worked out, he should be human by nightfall. Maybe even earlier.

Despite what happened earlier, the Spycrab found himself humming as he scuttled down the hallway, peeking into each room looking for a specific room to carry out his plan. The Scout's room was next to the Medic's room, it was evident due to the amount of medical books that were piled in the man's room. That's not it. He walked down to the other room, that one belonged to the Engineer. Nope. The last two rooms belonged to the RED Spy and Heavy, he didn't even bother looking into the Spy's room. The RED Frenchmen's room reeked of expensive - or cheep- cologne and ash. With a sigh, the Spycrab crossed the hall way to the other line of doors. What he was looking for had to be here.

After a few more rooms, an evil grin appeared on the Spycrab's face as he reached the room he was looking for: The Demoman's room.

He entered the room, looking around with fascinated eyes at the explosive material the Scotsman had. Most of them were sticky bombs. The rest were miscellaneous types of bombs; They were probably never to be used due to either being defective or too dangerous to use in battle. The Spy couldn't help be wonder if the Demoman would be completely worthless to a team if he never had any of these materials to his disposal. He'd just be a one-eyed, drunken, burden. The explosives weren't what the Spy needed though. Since the Demoman had a never-ending supply of alcohol, perhaps the man wouldn't mind if...the Spycrab...'borrowed' a bottle.

Yes. That was his plan. To get the RED Scout drunk. A desperate motive, yes, then again, he was desperate to become human again. He knew he'd be proving the Scout was right by doing this, but he was running out of time, patience, and options. If the new BLU Spy settled in before he returned, he was going to be forgotten by his comrades. Even to the BLU Scout with time. What was he going to do then? Live forever as the RED Scout's pet? He was too proud to go from a top professional spy to a low life pet that depended on a buck-toothed, fast talking virgin. However, although he wasn't ready to admit it yet, he had grown quite fond of that young man. He especially loved that intoxicating scent that belonged to the Scout.

The Spycrab wasn't sure if he was going to enjoy this or not. Once he was human, he could leave and just forget everything ever happened. Then he and the RED Scout could continue hating each other again. Shame really, those days he spent to earn the boy's trust, would be for nothing.

After searching around the room, the former Frenchmen eventually came across a large cabinet that was up next to the Demoman's bed. To a person, it would be a short cabinet, but from the Spycrab's point of view, he could've easily have used it as closet for this clothes. That is...if crabs wore clothes. Either way, it looked promising. He scuttled up to the case and observed it, wondering if by chance the RED Cyclopes had booby-trapped it. He knew the BLU Demoman had a tendency to do something like that. Was this man the same way? Only one way to find out.

With a silent pause and a few breathing exercises, the Spycrab finally latched onto the knob of the cabinet the best he could with is claws. It took a few tries before he finally got a study grip. He counted down in his head from three down to one and pulled the right door open, flinching by reflex, expecting an explosion.

Nothing.

"Oh, Dieu merci," The Spy nervously chuckled to himself, as he pulled open the other door.

The cabinet was allied with bottles upon bottles of the same brand of scrumpy. A signature brand most likely. The Spycrab shook his head slightly at the limited selection. He wanted the Scout drunk, not brain dead. Then again, what was the difference?

He was just about to forget the whole idea when a bottle on the bottom shelf, hidden behind more brown bottles caught his eye. With a curious hand (or claw), the Spycrab moved the bottles aside to see a single row of clear bottles, the labels were slightly silver with a red colored rim. Some of the bottles were filled with equally clear liquid, but a few had slightly reddish brown liquid as well. Vodka.

"Well, well," The Spycrab grinned. "I guess the Demoman is more cultured than I thought."

* * *

The Scout didn't want to return to his room after the meeting ended. He couldn't even remember what even happened during the meeting. All he could remember was some old woman screaming at them, berating them, calling them every profound word known to man and then blah, blah, blah, blah...

As soon as they were dismissed, the Scout was the first one to leave, but he didn't exactly know what to do next. If he returned to his room, he had to deal with the Spycrab, but then again, what was there to do now?

"Scout?" The RED Medic grabbed his shoulder, making the Scout jump slightly.

"Shit, man, don't sneak up on me like that!" He hissed, sounding very angry. The Medic stepped back slightly. Scout saw the Heavy was with the Medic as well.

"I'm sorry, herr Scout," The Medic squeaked slightly. " I didn't mean to startle you."

"Is leetle Scout, ok?" asked the Heavy.

The Scout narrowed his eyes at the two. "Yer not here to stab me in the neck with that medicine again, are ya?" He growled.

"Oh, nien. Ve are just worried about you, zhat's all." The Medic said.

"What do you mean? I'm fine!"

"It's just...zhat...vell...you haff been unusually distant lately," Began the Medic. "Are you still upset about zhose three days of suspension?"

"No." Scout's eye twitched slightly. "I'm fine."

"Iz someone giving you trouble?"

"No."

" Did one of zhe BLUs threaten you?"

"No."

"Did someone...touch you...inappropriately?" The Medic's eyes widened slightly.

" Oh god, NO! What the hell, doc?" yelled the Scout in disgust.

The Medic shrugged. " Just listing zhe possibilities." The Heavy chuckled.

"L-look, I'm just bummed that..." He looked around for something to blame, he saw Sniper walk past the Soldier and Spy- who looked at him with suspicious eyes. "...everyone is being a jerk to Sniper."

"Oh!" The Medic believed him. "Vell, you don't haff to worry, herr Scout. Things vill get better when me move out to Coldfront in zhe morning."

"Right...Coldfront." The Scout sounded disappointed since he knew where they were going to a colder area instead of a semi-warm area for October. He was looking forward to going to Harvest, at least he'd have access to some pumpkins to shoot.

"You should go pack now, Scout." The Medic turned him towards his room and gave him a light push almost playfully. "Remember to pack a sweater, ja? Ve don't vant a repeat of December!"

Scout grumbled to himself as he walked lazy towards his room. Guess he had to face the Spycrab either way.

* * *

"Bonjour, mon Princess!" The Spycrab smiled pleasantly.

"I'M NOT A PRINCESS - oh, hey, you're in a good mood," The Scout's expression immediately softened after realizing how happy the Spycrab sounded. "What gives?"

The Spycrab was sitting on top of the Scout's desk. The desk itself being completely reorganized with the scattered papers, pencils and pens properly sorted so it looked somewhere presentable. Behind the Spycrab was tall clear bottle of vodka.

"How'd you get up there?"

"It's a _long_ story, trust me." The Spy sighed, sounding a bit tired just thinking about it.

"Alright, that's fair, I think." The Bostonian muttered to himself, being a bit confused about what was going on as he shut his bedroom door. "Seriously though, what gives? Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"

"I thought about what you said, and...you are ...you are right," The Spy had a bit of trouble saying it out loud. "I was acting very selfish, and you have worked too hard putting up with me all the while. I'm not giving up becoming human."

"Good!" Scout said simply, it was easy to hear his excitement in his tone as being told he was right. "So...what's with the bottle? Where did you get it?"

"Oh! I was hoping maybe you and I could...celebrate." The Spycrab smiled again, looking a bit TOO happy but at the same time, rather genuine.

"Celebrate what? Your team got a new Spy and my team still thinks I yell at windows on a regular basis." The Scout sat down in the desk chair as he spoke.

The Spycrab shrugged slightly. "Our last day at 2fort, of course." He chuckled, seeing the Scout nod slightly, believing every word. "So, where are we going?"

"Coldfront," groaned the Scout. "I hate snow."

"As do I," The Spy agreed, being truthful. "No Harvest this year. It's probably for the best."

The Scout didn't say anything, he looked at the bottle curiously, taking it in his hand and looking at it. "Is this Vodka?"

Spy nodded, pulling out two paper cups he had found lying around in the desk while he was cleaning up the mess. "You drink?"

There was a nervous moan, the Spy looked at the Scout as the boy bit his lower lip. "N-not really." The Spycrab snorted. "Hey! What's so freakin' funny?"

"You are _such_ a virgin." responded the Spy.

It took the Scout a while to realize what the Spy was talking about. Not just being a virgin with sex, but also a virgin towards drinking alcohol. He let out a low groan as the Spycrab continued to grin. "Would you like to give it try?" the crab asked, pushing one of the cups towards the boy.

Scout looked at the bottle, then at the Spycrab. He knew the Spy would taunt him more if refused it, just claiming he was 'pure' in more ways than one. With a loud huff, the Scout unscrewed the cap off the bottle and took a huge gulp from it. The Spycrab flinched, not expecting the Scout to go for it so quickly.

Scout swallowed hard before pulling the bottle away and letting a disgusted gasp. "This crap tastes like shit!" He coughed.

The Spycrab chuckled and then let out an amused sigh, shrugging a bit. "Well, I suppose any man who can't hold his liquor is..._just_ a **boy**."

"Hey, I got enough of that crap from that wrinkly old boss lady," The Scout hissed. "That was just my first sip! It tastes better after a few more, right?"

"Of course, it begins to taste like heaven so to say." The Spy held out his little paper cup for some and the Scout poured a little into the cup before drinking from the bottle again.

It was amusing watching the Scout drink so eagerly. Almost too easy the Spycrab though as he took very tiny sips from the cup. Every few sips, the Scout would slam the bottle on the desk and take a few heavy breathes before drinking from the bottle again. Spy assumed the Scout was trying to prove something to him, he wasn't sure what it was, but it was becoming a bit evident that the vodka was starting to take its effect.

"Oh god..." The Scout's speech was slightly slurred as he struggled to set the bottle on the desk. After a few misguided attempts, he just dropped the bottle all together before slamming his head onto the desk. "I don' feel so gooooood."

"i_Perfect/i_," The crab slowly scuttled around the Scout's head still he reached the boy's face. "Are you feeling alright?" He didn't know why he asked that.

"Room's spinnin'." Scout giggled slightly when his eyes locked onto the Spycrab. "Oh hey! You gots yourself a buddy! Like- four of 'em."

"Aww, poor baby," The Spycrab cooed sarcastically, as he used his good claw to push the Scout's cap off his head. The Scout let out a drunken groan as he slid from the desk to the floor. "Oh! Did you hurt yourself?" He called down to him.

"I feel **fantastic**~!" responded the Scout.

The Spycrab sighed. "You are makin' this so difficult," He muttered as he jumped from the desk to the chair.

"Y'know what we should do...? We should...like...go inta town...an' hire a prostitute to...do stuff to ya!" The Scout announced. "That'd...that'd totally turn yo' back into a human fer sure!"

"I highly doubt that." The Spy grunted as he jumped onto the floor. "Scout? Do you honestly want to help me?"

" Yeah, of course I do." Scout rolled onto his back. "Yer my friend, an' friends help each other, that's what they do."

"Friend?" Spy froze, looking at the Scout in disbelieve. He couldn't tell if it was the vodka talking or the Scout. No one had ever referred to him as a friend before, even when he was in BLU. The word was foreign to him, yet...Spy shook his head. "You are lying to me."

"No, no I'm not," The Scout struggled to sit up, he fell back down and then struggled again to roll onto his stomach so he could face the Spycrab. "You tried to save my ass yesterday, 'dat shows tha' you **care** 'bout me." He managed to say, although it was hard for the Spycrab to hear.

The Spycrab sighed, feeling a bit guilty now. Even if the Scout was drunk and what he was saying was nothing but drunken lies, it felt nice being told that. He smiled lightly as he watched the Scout flatten out on the floor, more drunken groans escaping his mouth.

"_What am I doing?_" He tried to remember why he had gotten the Scout drunk in the first place. Although, no matter how hard he tried to picture the new Spy in his territory, it kept fading out in his head as he looked at the RED Scout. The boy just lying there with his eyes closed, looking so helpless. " I'm going soft." He growled.

"Spy?" The Scout muttered slightly, shifting onto his side. "Can I tell you somethin'?"

He walked up near the Scout, a bit curious about what the Scout was going to say this time. More sweet lies perhaps?

Once the Spycrab was near enough, the Scout suddenly grabbed him, pulling him in for a rough and awkward hug.

"I'm...I'm kinda glad you go' turned inta a crab," Scout slurred. The Spycrab was silent, he was still surprised the Scout was holding him so closely, although still awkward. " cuz...cuz I'm not alone anymore."

"I don't understand." The Spy muttered.

"Non of th' guys here _get _ me, they're so different 'n stuff," continued the Scout. " I don't have any friends, I'm all alone here."

"What about the Sniper? Aren't you friends with him?"

"I tried being nice t' him, but we keep endin' up arguin' 'n stuff. I hate that." His arms became limp and the Spycrab fell onto the floor. "You listen to me when I talk an' you never get angry at me. Like...ever."

The Spy remained silent, he was still sidled up slightly against the Scout's chest, but he didn't mind. He was focused on what the Scout was saying.

"I wanna kiss you so you'd be human again...but I can't...I just **can't**...you'd hate me..." The Scout's voice trailed off slightly as the Scout lowered his head onto the floor, slowly falling asleep.

It was quiet for a while. The Spycrab remained nuzzled up against the Scout, feeling extremely guilty now for trying to take advantage of the young man in the first place for his own selfish reasons. Never once would he imagine the RED Scout would go from hating his guts and wishing him dead to thinking of him as a friend now. Then again, it was most likely the vodka speaking. He didn't know what to believe. Once the runner slept off the alcohol, he was going to be mad when he realizes what the Spycrab tried to do to him. Or at least suffer from a major headache.

He was still surprised at _himself _ for acting so out of character. Why did the Scout's words make him feel so...human. Every word completely erased the empty feeling he had earlier when he saw the new BLU Spy arrive and take his place. It was replaced with warmth and...he didn't know how to describe it. It almost felt as good as before he became a crab. The feel feeling he had every time there was a battle. When his eyes would catch sight of the RED Scout and he would run across the field just to reach him. He would always look the Scout in the eyes before he killed him

The Spy felt tears weld up in his eyes. "Merde," He whimpered, hating himself for knowing what it was and for feeling this way. But he was afraid to say it out loud.


	15. Evil has a face

**Chapter 15** - _Evil has a face_

-_BLU base_-

It was evident that the BLU Scout didn't like the new BLU Spy. The boy was still convinced the old Spy was going to return soon, and with the new arrival, things were just getting worse for him. Although the BLU Medic tried to talk to him about having to accept the fact their previous Spy was gone, the Scout refused to believe that and separated himself from everyone else just to cool down. He sat on his bed and looked out the window; His room looking over towards the RED base. He knew the Spy was there.

'_It eez a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Petit_' The new Spy was younger then the old Spy, not by much but his voice made the Scout think he was in his early 30's, perhaps late 20's even. Maybe 28, 29, Scout was just guessing. His voice had a thicker French accent and a fake smile that was always plastered on his face. '_I look forward to working wiz' you_'.

Scout shivered slightly, just hearing the new Spy's voice make his skin crawl.

The silence in the room made the BLU Scout think about where the Spy might have disappeared off too. The man did that often, mostly on days when there wasn't a battle scheduled. He'd be gone for only two days and then return almost immediately when the others noticed he was gone. Usually, the Spy sounded excited for the next battle, often telling the BLU Scout that he had a new technique he wanted to try on the RED Scout. Why the Spy targeted his RED counterpart confused him. Granted it was a new killing technique, but why the RED Scout? Why not the RED Spy instead? What did the RED Scout have that **he** didn't?

Just thinking about the RED Scout reminded him about his rather awkward encounter with the other Scout. It was so weird that he just tackled him to the ground, placed a fairly large crab on his chest and screamed at him about his virginity. It was true that he wasn't a virgin, but why the RED Scout wanted to know was just too creepy. So was the fact he was trying to get him to talk to the crab he brought with him. Just a little round crab that was an unusual shade of blue with two large skin colored patches spreading across its eyes and over its mouth. Like it was wearing a mask.

Wait! Did the RED Scout refer to the crab as the Spy? Was his counterpart just messing with his head, or...was that crab **really** the Spy? So many questions left unanswered. As much as he hated to admit it, he was going to have to find someway to talk to the RED Scout. Maybe on the train since both teams were heading out to Coldfront in the morning. Damn stalemate, he wanted to go to the Sawmill. It was awesome!

The BLU Scout's thoughts were interrupted when there came three rhythmic taps at his door. Most likely the BLU Medic, trying talk to him again. Scout got up from his bed and walked over to answer the door. He immediately frowned when he saw it was the new BLU Spy, using that clearly fake smile to greet him. The Scout couldn't tell what disturbed him the most out this guy, his smile or the fact he could how yellow his teeth were from the cigarettes he smoked.

"Bonjour, mon ami." He chirped, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

" I-I've been around the S-S-Spy long enough to know a little French," The Scout sneered. "We are NOT friends."

"But of course, we 'ave only met after all," agreed the Spy. " I must say, your little speech impediment iz rather adorable."

Scout glared at the man. "What do you w-w-want?"

"Ah, oui, our teammates 'ave informed me zhat you were...rather close...with my predecessor, is zhis correct?" He asked. The unchanging glare from the Scout meant 'yes' to him. "Perhaps you can tell me what became of him. I'd like to avoid making _his_ mistakes when we fight RED up at Colfront."

"Just because w-we're on the same t-t-team doesn't mean I have to tell you a-anything!" The Scout hissed.

The Spy let out a causal sigh, almost like he was expecting the Scout to react that way. "What a pity," He shrugged. " I 'oped you would be at least a little cooperative."

The man took a deep drag from his cigarette before he blew the putrid smoke in the BLU Scout's face, causing the boy to take a few steps back and cough. Suddenly, the Spy quickly reached out and grabbed the BLU Scout by the face, the palm of his hand cupping over his mouth and pushed the Scout into his room and slammed him up against the wall. The BLU Scout let out a whimper as he grabbed the Spy's arm, trying his best to fight back, but the man had a powerful grip on him. All he could do was look helplessly at the Spy.

"Listen," the Spy began almost purring rather darkly. "I can either be your ally _or_ your enemy. Now I tried being nice to you, I really 'ave, but I also don't 'ave a lot of patience for **stubborn **_little _boys."

He tightened his grip on the BLU Scout, causing him to let out a loud, muffled, cry as tears began to stream down his eyes. A deadly grin appeared on the Spy's face.

"You might as well get comfortable, mon **ami**, you and I are going to 'ave a LONG talk," He said. "And when we are done, you and I are going to be the BEST of friends."


	16. Paternal

_This particular chapter involves a cross-over with another writer's story:_ _**art1st4786**_

"_The Scout and the Crab" even takes place before "Paternal" begins._

_

* * *

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**Chapter 16**- _Paternal_

Did the Spy regret not convincing the Scout to kiss him while he was drunk? In a way, yes. Mostly because he then had to put up with the still drunk Scout as he slept off the vodka, but ever now and then he would jump awake and just talking non stop about random things. First it started with Scout talking about his mother, continually saying that he loves and respects her, but wished she'd stop acting like an attention needy whore! He also stated that all of his older brothers had different fathers, but despite that, they all got along like an ideal family.

"That is good to know, Scout." Spy would reply before the Scout laid down on the floor again.

The Spycrab tried to busy himself since it was still early in the afternoon. While the Scout slept, he looked around the room for the Scout's suitcase. It the least he could do since the Scout was drunk, because of him.

It took about an hour for him to find the suitcase, it was jammed in the Scout's closet, practically buried underneath most of the Scout's collection of baseball equipment as well as his dirty uniforms. In the end though, and two hours later, the Spycrab finally pulled the luggage bag out into the middle of the floor. He panted heavily, a bit proud of himself at the same time for being able to do that alone, although his injured claw might have been the reason why it took him so long to do the chore.

"HEY!" The Scout jumped awake again, yet another drunken moment. "I just realized somethin'..."

The Spy didn't respond, he struggled a bit to open up the case before he grabbed one of the red shirts the Scout had thrown onto the floor. The Scout suddenly poked the crab on the head with his thumb, applying pressure to keep the Spy from walking away. With a groan, the Spycrab looked at the Scout.

"Yer not wearin' any clothes..." The Scout giggled.

Spy blinked once, not impressed one bit the Scout's statement. "So it would seem." He responded.

".God," The Scout rested his forehead against the floor and laughed. "Yer so NAKED!"

The Spycrab sighed as he removed himself from underneath the Scout's hands and attempted to fold the shirt he grabbed earlier. The Scout continued laughing and repeating the word 'naked' over and over again till he feel back asleep again. The former Frenchmen only shook his head as he finished folding the red shirt, although it looked poorly done. It was the best he could do as a crab. He placed it inside the briefcase and went for the next one. A bit curious about what the Scout was going to do next before he finally worked the vodka out of his system.

-_The Next morning_-

"Uuuuuhhhhhhhhh..." The Scout let out a painful groan as he opened his bloodshot eyes.

It was hard to move, everything hurt, even blinking hurt. He tried to remember what happened to make him feel this way, but nothing came to mind other than the though of freezing snow when it was announced - due to the stalemate- that both teams were being sent to Coldfront.

"Damn snow..." He whispered to himself.

He let out another groan as he tried to sit himself up, only to let out a vampire-like hiss as the sun from the window shined in his face. Falling back on his...back...just made things hurt worse. His muscles ached, his head probably hurt the most, he was almost convinced that his blood was in pain too. Releasing a sigh, the Scout rolled his head to the side only to wince in pain as the sun reflected off a glass object that was on the floor. An empty vodka bottle. He reached out and picked it up, brining it close to his eyes so he could look at it clearly.

It was all coming back to him. The argument between him and the Spycrab, the drinking and then...nothing. The Scout's eyes widened as he shot up, looking around for the Spycrab. Did that little pest do something to him while he was out? If he did, well, the Scout wasn't sure what he'd do. Something epic perhaps.

There was a loud yawn from behind him, the Scout jerked around to see the Spycrab resting on his pillow on top of his bed.

"Good morning." The Spycrab said pleasantly, still half-asleep. "How are you feeling?"

"You son-of-a bitch!" The Scout tried to throw the empty bottle at the crab, but only tossed it pathetically onto the floor as he fell flat on his face. He let out a painful whimper.

"I take it you are in pain?" asked the Spycrab sarcastically.

"Shut up," The Scout crawled across the floor and pulled himself upright by holding onto the edge of his bed for support. He glared at the crab. "What ...the hell did ...you do to me?

"Got you drunk." Spy said truthfully, his eyes began to wonder, looking down a bit at the Scout.

The Bostonian noticed this, he reluctantly followed his gaze, nothing to crab was still looking at him, but at what. He looked down and noticed he was no longer wearing clothes.

"OH MY GOD!" He crossed his arms over his chest and curled into himself, leaning his back against the side of the bed. "WHY AM I NAKED?" He looked over his shoulder at the crab and snarled. "DID **YOU** DO THIS?"

The Spycrab had a satisfied smile on his face. Getting the Scout drunk was totally worth it. "You did that yourself, Mon petit Princess." He replied, still smiling.

"LIAR!"

The smile faded. "Do I look like I could have stripped you naked?"

A long awkward pause. The Scout's cheeks flushed a bright red during this time, wondering why it took him this long to figure out he was without clothes. The Spycrab let out an amused chuckle when the boy let out a sigh of defeat before another groan escaped his lips.

He held his head as he fell back onto his side. His outburst of anger intensified the pain in his head.

"Try drinking some water," The Spycrab advised, looking over the edge of the bed and pointing with his injured claw towards a glass of water that sat on the boy's nightstand.

"Where that that come from?" asked the Scout. " I don't remember getting a glass of water."

"Oh, the Sniper came in here earlier to talk to you about something," Spy explained.

"Was I naked _then_?"

"Non, you were asleep, but still drunk," Spy continued. " He could tell, so he left you a glass of water for when you woke up."

The Scout looked around on the floor for his clothes, he was surprised to see his room was void of his dirty clothes that was thrown onto the floor. Again, he sat up.

"Where are my clothes?" He demanded.

" In your suitcase," Answered the Spy, very calmly. " Remember? We are leaving for Coldfront today."

"I take it the Sniper packed my bags too?"

There was no answer, the Spycrab continued to stare at the Scout. During this time, the Scout had found his one of his suitcases and pulled out his uniform and dressed himself quickly. Only to fall down on the floor in pain again. While the Spycrab had managed to fill one of three suitcases with the Scout's belongings, it was the Sniper who showed up to finish what the former Spy had started. He only hid under the bed while the Sniper did this.

"Yes." Answered the Spy at last. " That was the Sniper's doing.

"Oh." The Scout muttered, sitting on the edge of the bed and drinking the water. The water was still cold, and it only made his body hurt more as he drank it. "AH! When am I gonna stop hurting?" He whined.

"Eventually." was his answer from the blue coruscation.

It didn't take long for the Scout to get everything situated. Although it was slow and very clumsy due to his hang-over. He managed to fix his uniform so he looked somewhat professional before it was time to leave; Tucking in his shirt, straightening his belt and finally sliding his bag onto his back.

He could hear his teammates talking outside the hallway, seems the truck that'll being them to the train station had arrived. The Scout jumped off his bed and made a dash for the door to catch up with his team, he froze half way when he realized he left behind the Spycrab. Turning sharply, the Scout slipped and fell onto the floor, but quickly recovered as he made a pathetic scamper over to the bed.

"I can't carry you in my hat, you'll just make my head hurt," Scout explained quickly as he swung his bag onto his front, unzipped it as he spoke. "You'll have to ride in here."

The Spycrab looked a bit skeptical. "You are joking, right?" He asked.

"Just get in there!" He snapped.

"Scout?" It was the Soldier, again. The Spycrab quickly jumped into the bag when he heard the knob on the door turn.

The Soldier looked annoyed when he entered the room. The Scout quickly zipped up his bag and slipped it onto his back again. The larger man looked around, as if looking for someone, he then glared over at the Scout. "Were you yelling at the windows again?" He asked, sounding skeptical.

"uh..."

"Oh whatever!" The Soldier sighed. "Just grab your bags and come on, we're leaving! Last one out, lock the doors!"

"Why the rush?" Asked the RED Spy as he passed the Scout's room. "They are not going to leave without us."

The Scout nodded quickly, muttering something under his breathe as he turned too quickly again and fell on the floor. The Soldier flinched.

"What the hell?" He could feel his eye twitch as he watched the Scout flail around a bit on the floor. "MEDIC! Get in here!"

The Soldier walked into the room again and grabbed the Scout by the shoulder, pulling him up onto his feet. The boy almost fell to the floor again, but the Soldier supported him. The Medic showed up shortly, a bit upset at having been called even though there wasn't a battle going on.

"Vhat's going on?" He asked.

"Something's up with the Scout." Soldier nodded towards the Scout who was struggling to keep himself on his own feet.

The Medic took a closer took at the Scout, noticing his bloodshot eyes, wobbly stance and the obvious smell of alcohol on the boy's breathe. Also the empty bottle of vodka near the Scout's bed was evident enough. A few of the other REDs had stopped to see what was going on.

"You haff been drinking?" asked the German, looking surprised. A dizzy moan was what the Medic got as a response. "Oh, Scout, vhat is wrong with you?" He smacked the Scout on the side of the head.

"Where the hell did you get alcohol?" The Soldier pause before he and the Medic looked towards the Demoman.

The Scotsman flinched. "Oy! Don' look at me!" He said defensively.

"Ugh!" The Medic sighed, looking back at the Scout. "He's in no condition to valk on his own, one of us is going to haff to carry him."

"Real men walk on their own! Drunk or not!" retorted the Soldier, letting go of the Scout, thinking he was fine. However, Scout fell down onto the floor again. "Eh...let him crawl to the station. The pain of the rocks slicing his skin and the ultra-violet rays that'll burn his wounds will help grow hair on his chest."

"You are a monster..." The Medic replied.

"I'll do it." The Sniper offered, but almost immediately the RED Spy pushed the Sniper aside and stepped forward.

"Non, let me do it!" He insisted, slightly glaring back at the Sniper. "The Scout needs to handled..._gently_."

The Sniper backed off, letting out a slight sigh. The Engineer only glared back at the Spy, crossing his arms and shaking his head in a disappointed manner.

"Why so interested in help the Scout all of a sudden?" Asked the Soldier as the Spy carefully lifted the Scout onto his back.

"Oh, I consider zhis...practice," He smiled a bit. " I 'ope to one day marry my lovely woman back 'ome. And zhat son of hers is going to be a handful."

There was a slight pause. The RED Spy looked over his shoulder at the RED Scout was barely conscious and leaning his face against the Spy's back. The Frenchmen let out an annoyed groan.

" 'e iz drooling on my suit." The Sniper couldn't help but chuckle rather darkly.

* * *

It had been a while since the RED team has been to the train station, it was evident by the very thin layer of dust and abandoned cobwebs that the station was only used by the mercenaries of RED and BLU. Despite this, the post was kept in good condition. Scout found it a bit strange how both RED and BLU rode the same train, although they were going to be in separate passenger cars. Even the station itself was divided, the right side of the station had the RED team, while across to the other side was the BLU team. Good thing they were separated by a large gate or else there'd be a war in the station.

"The trains not here." The RED Scout noted out loud, still perched on the RED Spy's back. He let out an injured groan as he slid down onto his feet, having to hold onto the Spy's shoulder for support.

The Soldier let out a slight growl. "Of course it's not here, we have to wait for the other wing to arrive!"

"Other wing, y'mean **another** RED team?"

"That's what I said!"

The Spy spoke up. " There are other territories that are up for grabs, so naturally there will be more RED and BLU teams out there fighting for it," He explained. "Every now and then, two territories switch just to spice things up."

"That's just stupid." Scout muttered, letting out a heavy sighed as he limped over to a near by bench. His hang-over was making it difficult for him to stand properly and even to walk straight. He just needed to lie down for bit.

Once the Scout had rolled up onto the bench, the Spycrab too his chance to slip out of the Scout's backpack, letting out a jumble of curses in French due to almost suffocating and being crushed by the various contents the Scout kept in here. He couldn't help but let out a sympathetic sigh as he looked at the Scout still trying to sleep off his hang-over.

"I'm sorry, Scout." He said softly into the Scout's ear.

"I'm gonna get you for this," Scout replied, as he rubbed his forehead, letting out a whimper from the pain. "I'..Again.**Ever**!"

Again the Spycrab sighed, he crawled over the Scout's neck so he wasn't pinned against the Scout and the back of the wooden bench. It was best to avoid talking to the Scout while he was angry, maybe this was why he and the Sniper argued; The Sniper never backed off from a conversation.

- _Later...let's say 35 minutes_-

The walls rattled slightly as the train pulled into the station, its breaks squeaking at almost an ear piercing volume. Despite this, it wasn't enough to wake the Scout, who had falling asleep again. It did startle the Spycrab slightly, forgetting how loud the train was when it pulled into the station and how it practically shook everything inside the port. Particularly the bench the Scout slept on. He had to cling to the boy's shirt to keep from sliding off the seat.

Once the Spycrab heard the hiss from the train as it came to a complete stop, he couldn't help but walk to the opposite end of the bench, and look out towards the rest of the REDs. They all stood almost in a cluster - aside from the Engineer and Sniper who choose to sit down on a nearby bench - near the docking station. The RED Solder stood closer to it though, seeming to be the most eager to meet his fellow Solder. It was either they were excited about meeting their fellow REDs or they were just waiting to get to Coldfront very impatiently. Then again, perhaps they just wanted to get on the train before BLU did. How childish.

The door to the red colored passenger car slide opened suddenly, and slowly the other members of RED filed out. The Spycrab couldn't help but noticed how pleased they look exiting the car, probably from boredom or from coming from a cold territory. It was both; Evident by the other RED Heavy letting out a loud yawn and the Medic that was close to him stretching with a satisfied grin. The other RED Scout rubbed his arms and telling the other Pryo how it was about time they got some warm weather. And something else about freezing nuts, the Spycrab didn't pay attention. **HIS** RED Scout was the only Scout he was interested in paying any attention to.

"_I hope I can handle the snow in this body_," The Spy thought to himself. "_I highly doubt crabs were built for cold weather._"

The RED Soldier stepped forward when the other RED Soldier finally step out. The two might as well have been wearing a magnet seeing how fellow soldiers just instantly gravitated towards each other and instantly acting like best friends.

The two Soldiers shook each others hands and let out a few hardy chuckles before the RED Solder spoke up.

" 'Bout time you got here, we were starting to think you ladies weren't going to show!" He chuckled, resting his fists on his hips. "How's the Coldfront handling?"

The other Soldier crossed his arms. "A bunch of yellow-bellied maggots were over there, from what I heard. Can't even handle a little bit of snow! I say if _American_ football players can play in it, then you can capture points in it! I hope your batch can make RED proud over there!"

" We're not going to let a little frozen water stop us! We may have ended in a stalemate this round, but that's gonna change!" The Soldier announced rather proudly. "Uh...I'd keep an eye on your Scout though, ours kind of snapped, pressure from winning...yeah." He leaned in and whispered. "He yells at windows." Some of the other REDs chuckled.

The other Soldier laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "Oh, if only! Then he'll be annoying the windows instead of us!"

"Can puny windows get annoyed, Medic?" The other RED Heavy asked the other Medic.

"Nein! Of course not," the other Medic paused, his eyes widening slowly. "Or...**do** zhey?"

The last RED to exit the train was a tall RED Spy. He looked a little older than the RED Spy the Spycrab had encountered when was still human, but at the same time, still very youthful. The Spycrab couldn't help but feel he had seen that Spy before, although he couldn't tell due to the mask. Perhaps he didn't perhaps he didn't. It was because of this the Spycrab didn't think of that other RED Spy as the 'other' Spy. Subconsciously, he named that Spy 'Red', just so he wouldn't mix him in with the RED Spy he fought on a regular basis.

He watched Red as the man walked past the two talking Soldier's, not bothering to even look towards his fellow REDs, only walking down a straight line through the station. He was almost caught up with his own teammates when he stopped suddenly after he passed the bench the Scout was sleeping in.

Red stood still for a second before looking over his shoulder at the Scout, raising an eyebrow curiously. He turned around and looked over at the Scout's teammates and then back to the Scout. Why was this boy resting so far from his friends? Was he even alive?

Slowly, Red walked over to the Scout and shook his shoulder to make sure he was even conscious. Softly he said. "Wake up, boy. You don't want to miss your train."

The RED Scout stirred slightly, shrugged the man's hand off his shoulder as he frowned, opening his eyes very slowly. The runner's bloodshot eyes and the slightly blank stare was what Red noticed first. "Been drinking have you?" He chuckled slightly, rather odd behavior for a young man of his class.

A garbled bunch of gibberish was the Scout's response as he tried to sit up, he had some trouble and Red grabbed both of his shoulders and sat the Scout up. The Bostonian blinked a few times before he finally was able to focus his vision. He yawned loudly before looking at Red rather lazily.

"Who the hell are you? Yer not the Spy?" Scout said.

Red chuckled. "That's because I'm from another RED team."

"Oh." Scout responded, sounding very uninterested.

The Spycrab quickly scuttled across the bench, jumping defensively into the Scout's lap and glaring up at Red. Scout jumped a bit, looking down at the Spycrab and cupping his hands slightly near the crab, a bit unsure when he even jumped into his lap to begin with.

Red followed the Scout's gazing, a bit surprised to see a crab in the boy's lap. A crab, of all things a person could have, this fellow RED chose a crab. With a slight smile, Red bent down so he was eye-level with the creature. He curiously poked at the crab with a finger, giving it a weird look. "Is this your pet or dinner?"

The Spycrab frowned; While he was a bit relieved someone was actually noticing him, it was just annoying being thought of as a pet or even as a meal to the boy. He could easily over look those insults though, but it was the RED Spy poking at him that was just insulting. With a low growl, the Spycrab fought back the only way he could: by using his claws to snap at the finger that teased him.

Red pulled his hand back before the crab could grab him, he laughed slightly. "Feisty one, isn't he?"

Scout shrugged slightly in response, slightly thankful his little friend never used those claws against him. " He's neither.." He answered Red's earlier question. "It's a long story and you wouldn't believe me. Why do **you** care?"

Red looked at him. "Well, considering your current prickly disposition, partially inebriated state and self-imposed seclusion from your team, I'm assuming something's troubling you."

The Scout blinked a couple times, unable to understand WHAT Red just said to him. Too many big words, non of which where in his mental dictionary. "Whaaaaa...?" He slurred.

"It means you are drunk and acting very anti-social," The Spycrab translated into simpler terms for the Scout.

"Oh!" It took a few seconds to respond to the other RED Spy. "Oh...is it that obvious?" He hung his head a bit, focusing his line of vision on the crab that sat in his lap.

Red gave him a concerned look. "We have some time before your train leaves. Do you want to talk about it?"

Scout frowned, letting out a slight huff. "Guess so, not that it would do any good."

Red sat down next to him on the bench. "You'd be surprised. Considering I'm not involved with whatever is troubling you, my objective view on the matter at hand may be able to help you conjure an elucidation to your quandary."

Again with the big words. "Uh..."

"It means he wants to help you." Translated the BLU Spy.

"Well..." The Scout suddenly tossed the crab over his shoulder, almost too casually.

Red couldn't help but flinched. He watched in total surprise as the crab landed on the hard floor, he kept his eyes on it to make sure it's not hurt. He then looked back at Scout, remaining silent and giving him his full attention.

" Lets say - hypothetically speaking of course- there was a talking...rock! And this rock is normally considered an enemy to your...car. Yeah. And you're the only who can hear this...rock...because you're a...French...man. Uh...you getting' this so far?" Scout asked a bit nervously.

Red stared at him like he's grown another head. He looks over at the crab- who had landed roughly on the station's floor and flipped onto its back, then back at Scout, trying to connect the dots.

"Well...has this rock already caused damage to the car?"

"_The list goes on forever_..." Thought the Scout at first. "Uh...kind of, like, maybe the sp-I mean- rock might have made, lets say, six car parts think another particular car part is...is..." The RED Scout let out a defeated sigh, just trying to explain the whole situation was even confusing _him_. "Y'know what, screw the metaphors, I don't even know why I'm keepin' it a secret! Here's the deal: THAT crab, IS the BLU Spy."

Red looked at the crab once more, studying it again closely. He looks at Scout once more.

"You're kidding, right? How is that even possible?" He looks at the crab again. "Though the markings _do_ resemble that of a BLU Spy..." He looks at Scout again. "Tell me what happened."

It was the Scout's turn to stare at his fellow RED in disbelief, he expected Red to laugh and walk away, but to take him seriously? This was new. At least someone had enough maturity to believe him. At first, he was tempted to made a snide remark about a grown man believing something that was practically fan-fiction material, but shrugged it off since Red didn't overact.

"I don't know how to answer that, mostly because he refuses to tell me, somethin' 'bout it being a breach of contract n' shit," Scout mumbled. "All I know is that he was somehow cursed to take the form of a crab, and **I'm** the only one who can hear him because..." He pouted slightly, shifting uncomfortably on the bench." I'ma...virgin..."

Red frowned slightly. "I see...did he explain what would happen to him if he breached that contract?" He glances at the crab once more before looking at Scout again. Seeing the boy remain silent and hanging his head a little lower was an obvious 'no' to him. He cleared his throat, deciding to change the conversation slightly. "As far as you being a virgin, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Speaking from experience, it's not something you should just throw away because you're afraid of not being accepted or being seen as weak."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Scout muttered sarcastically.

By this time the Spycrab had finally managed to flip himself off his back and onto his feet. He grumbled as he scuttled quickly back over to the RED Scout and Spy.

"What the 'ell was that for?" He demanded, glaring up at Scout and pulling at his socks.

Scout remained quiet, he wasn't about to look like an idiot for screaming at a crab. That would only convince Red that he was crazy.

"Payback." Scout whispered, his eyes locked on the crab

"Fine!" The crab spat. "We are even now! I 'ave been shown who is the boss! Now** don't ever do that again**!"

Red smirks lightly at the two before turning serious again. "If this tale that you tell me is true, Boy, then you need to take into mind that something nefarious could be afoot." He looks out at the BLU team he has been fighting almost longingly, then gives Scout a sad smile. "Take my advice: treasure the relationships that you forge in life, no matter how frustrating they may become at times. You'll never know when it'll be torn away from you, leaving you alone in life. Never be afraid to fight for it, though, if it's worth fighting for."

The Scout's face softened a bit, taking in each and every word Red said to him. Even though he didn't know what 'nefarious' meant. Before the BLU Spy became a crab and entered his life, the Scout didn't exactly have a close relation with either of his teammates. Because of that, he was alone, it was something that he grew use to that. However, that didn't stop him from longing for a friend. He was beginning to wonder if the BLU Spy's situation was really a curse, or an unspoken wish. Not that he'd tell the Spycrab **that**, he would never hear the end of it. Still. Could a RED and a BLU be friends? Maybe in secret. The Bostonian was well aware of what the Administrator did with the BLU Soldier and RED Demoman.

The Scout bend down and scooped up the Spycrab, setting him back in his lap. He looked a bit touched by Red's advice. "Alright..." He said very softly. "Thanks."

His face got serious as he looked at Red, matching Red's earlier facial expression. " Take my advice too: Don't **ever** accept alcohol from a crab...the hang-over is an unforgiving bitch!"

Red laughed, patting Scout on the head. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Just as a helpful tip with hangovers, eat carbs and drink plenty of water." Red stood up and adjusted his suit, smiling down at Scout. "Take care, Boy...and Crab."

Scout smiled back, he couldn't tell if he was being berated or complimented but oddly he felt very comfortable around that other RED Spy. The man had a very fatherly aura to him that the Scout liked, definitely a lot more than the current Spy on his team - who preferred to keep a safe distance from anything parental related. It was kind of disappointing see Red leave, but the train was just about ready to take on passengers now, and they'd be on their way to Coldfront.

The Spycrab noticed that the Scout hadn't moved yet, although the rest of the RED team was beginning to board the train.

"Scout!" He pinched the Scout's thumb gently to snap him out of his blank stare.

"OW! That hurt!" Scout snapped.

"We need to board the train now." The Spycrab replied calmly.

"Oh right!" The Scout removed his ear piece and hat and allowed the Spycrab to take his place atop his head before placing his head gear over him.

"LEETLE SCOUT!" The RED Heavy called out from the door of the train. "TIME TO GO!"

"I'm comin', I'm comin'! Sheesh!" He grunted to himself as he ran across the station at a quick yet sloppy pace, ducking a bit to slip under the Heavy's arms who looked like he was about to grab the Scout- thinking the boy was probably going to fall due to his slightly crooked running.

Once the Scout was inside, the large Russian shut the door and made his way into the car to sit next to the Medic. The Scout looked around, noticing how some of his teammates were either sitting alone or next to a buddy. He couldn't help but smile slightly when he saw that the Sniper was sitting up near the front of the group next to the Engineer, and no one seemed bothered by his presence unlike the last few days since the Spycrab make his presence known to the Scout. It was good to know the Engineer wasn't bothered by the rumors of the Sniper being a homosexual. Then again, nothing bothered the Engineer.

He took one last look at his teammates before he slide into the seat at the very end of the passenger car, being pretty far from his teammates. He wasn't in the mode to seem crazy by trying to talk to the Spycrab as well as the others at the same time. Things would've just gotten weird.

With a sigh, the Scout took off his bag and set it next to him as he used his other hand to take off his hat so the Spycrab would move around. The Spycrab shook a bit, almost like a dog, letting out a few coughs before he gasped for air.

"You should consider washing your hat ever now and then," The Spycrab spat out a few lint balls. "One of these days I'm going to die in there."

"One of these days yer gonna be too big to fit in my hat." Scout responded calmly.

The Spycrab sighed, he looked around the area where the Scout was sitting, taking notice at how far back he was sitting from his teammates.

"You are sitting alone?" said the Spycrab as he slid off Scout's head and landed on his shoulder.

"Not really." Scout replied. "I'm with you...so..." A shrug. " I'm not alone."

The crab chuckled. "You are sweet." Scout smiled slightly. "How is your headache?"

"Still hurts, but not as bad as it did this morning."

"That is good...again, I am sorry I did that."

"You can stop apologizing, I'm not mad anymore."

There was a sudden jerk as the train's whistle sounded and the Scout noticed how they were slowly moving from the depot. The train was moving. They were on their way to Coldfront.

The Scout looked down at the Spycrab, noticing he too was starring back at the group of the other REDs in the station, mostly at Red. There was a certain look in the crab's eyes that the Scout couldn't read. "Hey, what gives?"

"I'm not sure but..."

"But...?"

"I think...I **know** that man."

* * *

Big Thanks to _**art1st4786 **_for helping me write this. =D


	17. Cargo confessions

**Chapter 17** - _Cargo Confessions_

Scout couldn't tell how long they've been traveling. He sat idly in his seat and pressed his forehead against the window, at first watching 2Fort slowly fade from view but then just blankly watched the scenery from outside the train slowly change from a desert to a forest. Was this interesting to him? Quite the opposite. It was **very** boring.

Every now and then he would look up to see what his teammates were doing to keep themselves entertained. The Pyro, Soldier, Spy and Demoman were playing cards- it was pretty evident that the Spy was winning. Most likely through cheating. The Heavy had practically taken over the seat he was sharing with the Medic, lying down on the seat with his head in the Medic's lap as he snored loudly. The Medic was trying to read a book, but found it difficult with the Heavy's -well- heavy breathing. Scout couldn't help but wonder why the Medic and Heavy weren't harassed like the Sniper was after the rumor had started. Was it because they knew they Heavy could easily snap their necks if they even made one little remark about him and the Medic? Sniper should get some advice from them.

Scout looked over at the Sniper, who still remained up at the front,_ still_ with the Engineer. They were standing this time, maybe to stretch their legs. Although Scout couldn't hear, they were talking, but not loudly enough for anyone to hear. Every now and then, the Sniper would look over at the Scout, making sure their eyes met. It was a little creepy for the Scout when their eyes locked, he could feel a cold shiver run up his spine. He quickly looked away, letting out a nervous puff of air.

"Are you alright?" The Spycrab spoke from the Scout's lap.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Scout lied, although the Spycrab believed him.

Silence again. Scout was already getting sick of it. The train ride was going to take till morning for them to arrive in Coldfront, and what was he going to do till then? He didn't know, he was too busy thinking about how bored he was.

He let out slight groan as he suddenly stood up, the Spycrab in hand. After finally sleeping off his hang-over, although he was still a bit sore, he finally remembered something that the BLU Spy owed him. Scout could hear the Spycrab talking to him, yelling actually, demanding about what Scout was doing and where they were going. Without saying a word, the Scout walked towards the door at the end of the passenger car that let to the Cargo.

"Scout?" The Medic looked over at the boy, hearing him move around in the back. "Vhere are you going?"

Scout froze, looking over at the Medic a bit nervously. "I..." He thought for a moment. "I need my sweater! ...I'm freezing!"

The Heavy woke up, sitting up very quickly. "Can leetle Scout get my sweater too?" He asked. "Is going to get cold soon!"

"Oooh! Mein sweater too!" The Medic smiled, waving his hand a bit.

The Scout scowled. "Anyone else...need their damn sweater?" He growled.

"Hey! You respect the sweater!" Soldier yelled, standing up and dropping his cards, pointing accusingly at the Scout. "It has kept man warm since before the WHEEL was invented! It is part of American living and you will RESPECT IT!"

Awkward silence. The Scout only starred at the Soldier, as did everyone else. The man cleared his throat as he sat down. "Um...I'd like my sweater too."

"Fine." Scout tried to sound happy to help his teammates, although he just wanted to get some privacy so he could talk to the Spycrab.

* * *

"Scout! What is the meaning of this?" The Spycrab demanded as the Scout set him on a crate in the Cargo hold.

The Scout only grunted as he leaned in with a threatening glare. "Listen: I put up for you for nearly a week now! You made me look like a nutcase in front of my team, you made the Sniper look like a fag, I fed you, I let you sleep in my room, I even let you **bathe** with me! You've even seen me **naked**, _twice_! I put up with your whining, moping, your _flirting_ and even risked my life to get your precious box of cigarettes from your room!" He began before slamming his palms on the crate, causing the Spycrab to flinch, looking up at the runner in shock. "Please..." the Scout's voice was shaking. "Just tell me...how did you get this way?"

The Spycrab closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He looked the Scout in the eyes and smiled. "Alright," He said softly. The Scout smiled back, very eagerly. " You have done more then enough to deserve an explanation."

The Scout sat down on a crate that was across from the one the Spycrab sat one. There was a moment of silence for the Spy to gather his thoughts. It seemed forever to the Scout, but it was only a minute before the Spy finally spoke up.

"The Harvest." He stated.

Scout blinked. "That's **it**?" He sounded very disappointed.

"Non, of course not! That's where it all happened!"

" What? Seriously? But...we've been there before and nothing bad happened."

"I know, let me explain something," The Spycrab said. "The Harvest, surprisingly, is within driving distance from 2fort."

"Yeah right, we take a train to Harvest, and it takes a full day to get there!"

"The industry makes the train take loops around the station a few times to make it seem that it's farther that usual." he explained.

"Why would they do that?"

"To keep us from wander outside the base. After all, if you were to get injured outside the borders...well...you would die. " He said, a bit sarcastically but at the same time almost comedically.

The Scout took a while to think about that. In the past, he never paid attention to what was happening outside when they took the train to harvest. Although, that would explain why he saw identical dogs pass the train a few times they traveled.

"I see what you mean," Scout nodded. "So, I take it you traveled to Harvest on a regular basis?"

"You are correct," said the Spycrab. "At least once a week."

"Why?"

"There are a lot of pumpkins and other objects that I like to use as targets. I perfected my throwing knife technique there. I practiced on the pumpkins till the day that I use that technique on **you**."

Scout frowned. "You dick."

"I know." Spy grinned.

"So...did, like, the pumpkin king or somethin' turn you into a crab?" Scout leaned back and crossed his arms.

"Close."

Scout almost fell off the crate. "You frikkin' serious?"

The Spy looked the Scout in the eyes. "Do you know...who Zepheniah Mann is?" He asked, lowering his voice a bit.

Again, Scout thought for a moment." Isn't he the dad of my boss or somethin'? Redmond Mann?"

"The very same." Spy nodded.

"What's he got to do with this? He died- like- a billion years ago."

"In a way, he is still alive."

"That's not possible, it seriously ain't." Scout narrowed his eyes, not following what the Spy was saying.

"Do you believe in ghosts, Scout?" Spy asked suddenly.

The Spy waiting for the Scout to answer, but he only watched the Bostonian shift very slightly in his seat. Trying to keep his eyes glued on the Crab that was explaining, but slowly his eyes would drift away.

"I take it...you've seen his ghost before."

The Scout let out a slight mix of a growl and a sigh, he hung his head a bit. "A..a few times, when we fought on the Harvest." He explained, before looking up. "He even came wicked close a few times too, but...he never turned me into a crab...wait. Zepheniah Mann? His ghost. He did this?"

Without saying a word, the Spycrab close his eyes again. Nodding very slowly.

"How? He's a ghost! Ghosts can't change people into crabs...can they?"

"When you are as rich and powerful as Zepheniah Mann, **anything **is possible," The Spy said. "He put a curse on the land to haunt it when blood was spilled on it, and he put this curse on me...when I was in Harvest."

"Did you kill anyone there?"

"Non, I was just there for practice. He never appeared during those times." The Spy huffed slightly. Feeling a bit relieved for explaining everything to the Scout. "But when I showed up at the Harvest for more practice, he showed up, and the next thing I know, I am a crab."

"Did the ghost say anything to you?"

"Non, just nonsense about unspeakable atrocities and how I should repent for my sins."

"Oh." Scout paused. "But why a crab?" The Spy shrugged. "Seriously? He could've turned you into a pumpkin or a zombie or maybe even killed you all together so he could beat up your ghost!" He whined. "Turning you into a crab is the STUPIDEST curse I've ever seen!"

" Well, considering how no-one could hear me and I am pretty useless to my team now...I think it is a rather decent curse." The Spycrab said.

"Dude, you are taking this curse shit WAY to calmly." Scout sneered.

"I guess you have been a good influence on me." The Spy smiled warmly up at the Scout.

The Scout tried his hardest not to smile back, his bit his lower lip again and looked away. It was hard not to notice the very faint tint of red appear on his face, despite the poor lighting in the car. After the Scout let out a few heavy breaths, he turned back towards the Spy.

"So...we're dealing with paranormal shit here?" He asked.

"It would appear to be that way." nodded the Spy.

"And I can hear you...because I'm a virgin." The Scout was just trying to piece together everything he gathered. "And because of that, you think it could really break this curse?"

"That is what I'm hoping for," The Spy nodded again. His face lite up slightly.. "Are you...reconsidering?"

"**HELL NO!**" The Scout yelled, suddenly angry again. " I told ya before! I ain't kissin' you!"

The Spy leaned back a bit as the Scout yelled at him, eyes widened in shock. The RED runner calmed down a bit

"Seriously, why do you think me kissin' you would break this curse?" He asked. "I'm pretty sure you didn't stop by the local library to study up on that crap. And don't bother bringin' up that fairy tale shit either, cuz' I ain't no princess!"

"What? It is symbolic?" Replied the Spycrab. "You are a virgin, pure and innocent in every way, shape and form. While my curse is...well, you do the math, boy."

"That's just gay," Scout retorted, looking away slightly. " I still ain't kisssin' ya!"

It was the Spycrab's turn to let out an annoyed sigh. "Is it because I am a man, or because I am a crab?" He asked meekly.

"Kind of both. I'm not sure." Scout shrugged. "Still...at least I know what we're dealing with now. Finding an alternate cure should be a lot easier now."

"Thank you, Scout." The Spy smiled again.

"You still owe me one free kill once your human though." He reminded the crab.

"Yes, yes I know." chuckled the crab. ".Kill." Scout smiled happily.

The moment was cut short when the door to the other side of the cargo hold suddenly slid open. Both the RED Scout and Spycrab turned towards the opposite door, seeing the BLU Scout standing there.

"Oh god!" The BLU mercenary gasped timidly.

The young runner looked around quickly, not exactly sure what to do since their weapons were in held in a separate train car. Without much of a choice, he turned to leave, but found the door was jammed a bit. His nervous whimpers were like nails on a chalkboard to the RED Scout, but he held his ground since he wasn't in the mood to fight with his BLU counterpart. The Spycrab let out a light gasp, before the RED Scout could say anything, the crab had jumped off the crate and scuttled over to his former teammate.

"Scout?" He asked, grabbing the boy's shoe. "Who...who gave you that black eye?"

An alarmed yelled came from the BLU Scout as he kicked the crab off his foot. "Get this thing away from me!"

The RED Scout stepped forward, grabbing the other Scout's shoulder and turning him again, pushing him roughly against the jammed door. "Who hit you?" He demanded, deciding to act as translate this time.

He realized what the Spycrab was talking about. With his counterpart facing him, he could see the right eye on the BLU Scout was slightly swollen shut with an unsightly shade of black and blue around the eye. Scout knew he didn't do that, he hit the BLU Scout in the head with the tin trash can, but not in the face. Did someone else on the RED team did? No. The BLU Medic would've healed it by then.

"Who hit you?" Scout repeated.

The BLU Scout frowned, but was still shivering slightly. "Why do you care? You're a RED!"

" **I** don't." He bend down a picked up the Spycrab with his free hand. He lifted the Spycrab near the BLU Scout, but kept him at a safe distance to avoid scaring his counterpart. "But **he** does. Your BLU Spy."

He almost expected the other Scout to scream again, but instead he looked at the crab. Though his breathing was still heavy, it began to slow down as he just starred at the blue crab in the RED Scout's hand. Nervously, the BLU Scout looked back at the RED Scout, then back at the crab.

"Is-is that seriously the BLU Spy?" He asked.

Scout blinked, not exactly wanting to convince the BLU Scout otherwise. He already tried the first time, and that ended very badly. Subconsciously, he hoped the other Scout would find out for himself. Someone on BLU had to care for the Spy.

The BLU Scout slowly reached out his hands and nervously took the Spycrab into his own hands. The crab held still, allowing the boy to hold him, he made sure to keep eye contact. He took a moment to look at the crab very carefully, while the crab's features mimicked a blue colored mask, it was the crab's eyes he couldn't take his own eyes off of. So familiar, and yet...

Tears welled up in the BLU Scout's eyes. "Spy...?" He whispered, the crab nodded, smiling very gently at the BLU. "Oh god...oh my god..."

"Hello, Scout," The Spycrab said, very softly. He knew his teammate couldn't hear him, but he wanted to talk to his old friend again. "It's good to see you again."

"He says 'hi'." Scout sighed.

"Oh my god..." The BLU Scout's voice cracked as he tried his hardest not to cry, but the tears were already flowing down his face. "Oh my god..."

The RED Scout sighed softly. "Listen..." He began. "He-"

He wasn't able to finish. The BLU Scout suddenly hugged the RED Scout, holding him close with one hand and holding the Spycrab against his own chest with his other. He leaned his head against the RED Scout's shoulder and began crying. The RED Scout didn't know how to react to that, or even how to handle it. He just held still as the BLU Scout tightened his grip, continuing to cry.

"Ok," Scout said, feeling very uncomfortable at the moment. "This...has got to stop...it's getting'... _really_ gay."


	18. Welcome to Coldfront

**Chapter 18 **- _Welcome to Coldfront_

The BLU Scout didn't know how to react as the RED Scout explained to him everything the Spycrab had told him about his cursed. Although he left out a few details, like him being a virgin. Both of the Scouts sat down next to each other and leaned against the door as the BLU Scout tried to comprehend everything that happened. It was hard to believe, but then again, the intelligent crab he held in his hands was evident enough.

"So..." Began the BLU Scout as he held the crab close to him. "...The Spy was turned into a crab by the ghost of Zepheniah Mann at the Harvest?"

"That's what he said." The RED Scout nodded.

The BLU Scout looked at his RED counterpart. "But why? What did he do that was s-so-so wrong?"

"Well don't ask me!" The RED Scout snapped. "I don' know and _nor_ does **he**! He just went over to Harvest one day to find a way a new way to f*ck me up on the field and then **BAM**!" The BLU Scout jumped slightly. "He's a crab! And_ I'm_ 'da only one who can hear him."

"Hmph!" The BLU Scout frowned. "What makes_you_ so special."

The RED Scout said nothing, he crossed his arms slightly as he leaned against the door. The BLU Scout looked down at the Spycrab again, keeping equally as quiet till he spoke up again. " It's _your_ fault the Spy is like this," He started. "He l-liked fighting _you_...a lot."

"I know." RED Scout said.

"He keeps tellin' me how you challenge him as a spy, an' how he has to use everything he's got to t-t-take you down..." continued the other Scout, spitting out his words as if they were like acid in his mouth. The Spycrab glanced nervously at the BLU Scout and then over to the RED Scout.

"I** know**." RED Scout repeated slowly.

"...And how it's just absolutely sa-satisfying it is... seeing you just come back to get even, but only to die without even attempting to kill him back. Like...like you're askin' for it!"

The RED Scout rolled his eyes, the BLU Scout was just exaggerating now. "You got a point to this?" He asked, very annoyed.

"What do **you** have that **I**_don't_?" The BLU Scout snarled.

Scout immediately stood up and jumped a few inches away, almost certain his BLU counterpart was going to attack him, but only saw him look hurt and angry as he looked down at the crab again with a heavy sigh. He whispered the question again, very softy this time as he just starred hopelessly at his cursed teammate.

With a groan, the RED Scout sat back next to his BLU enemy. "My...uh...my virginity." He answered, sounding a bit painful saying it.

The BLU Scout looked up. "Wh-what?" He was confused.

"I'm a virgin, alright? Meanin' I never had sex!"

His counterpart moved a few inches away from him. "I know what a virgin is, I use to be one m-myself."

The RED Scout growled slightly. "You lucky son-of-a-bitch," He muttered out loud. "How does a wimp like _you_ get so lucky?"

"You... think I'm a wimp?"

"Did you cry?"

"Huh?"

"Did you cry when you lost your virginity? Or...even when the sex was happenin'?"

"HEY! Would you cut it out already?" The BLU Scout snapped. "We're not talkin' 'bout me an' my sexual escapades here, we're talkin' 'bout the Spy!" The RED Scout let out a groan. "Why did you t-t-tell me you were a virgin anyway?"

"It's _because_ I'm a virgin that I can hear the Spy," explained the Scout. The BLU Scout looked at the crab again, who nodded in agreement. "And because I can hear him, he thinks me kissin' him will turn him human again."

The BLU Scout's eyes widened. "R-really?"

Scout shrugged. "Yeah, sure, whatever, but I really dou-" The BLU Scout suddenly shoved the Spycrab in his face, but the RED Scout instantly - upon reflex- held up his hand to avoid having the crab rubbed against his face. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN'?"

"Do it!" The BLU Scout hissed, trying to pull away the RED Scout's hand from his face as he continued to attempt to shove the crab in for a kiss. "You gotta kiss him! Now!"

"My apologizes, Scout." The Spycrab whimpered helplessly.

"HAVE YOU GONE CRAZY?" grunted the RED Scout as his counterpart pinned him to the floor. "I'M NOT GONNA KISS A F*CKIN' CRAB!"

"It's not your choice!"

The Spycrab suddenly pinched the BLU Scout's hand, causing the boy to yelp in pain as he loosened his grip and the allowed the cursed Spy to slip out of his hands. The Crab glared up at the BLU.

_That's enough, Scout!_

The BLU Scout held his hand and looked at the Spycrab with a hurt and betrayed look.

"Why-why did you do that?" He asked. "Don't you wanna be human again?"

The Spycrab shook back and forth (shaking his head if he was human.) _Not __**this**__ way, Scout._

"You...must really care for him then." He whispered, seeming to read the crab's eyes a bit.

"Are you alright?" The Spycrab looked at the RED Scout.

"I'm fine." He grunted as he picked himself off the floor, irritated at his counterpart. But at the same time he understood a bit about how the BLU Scout felt. He was still angry at him though.

"I'm sorry," The BLU Scout said to him, sounding a bit honest. "I...I just want the Spy back! Our current Spy we got...he...he..."

"That new Spy...he give you that black eye, didn't he?" Scout asked.

There was a slight pause. The BLU Scout looked at the him before turning away, he turned his attention down to the Spycrab, who gazed up at him with equal curiosity as the RED Scout. Slowly, biting his bottom lip and nodded quickly.

"He...wanted to know about the Spy, and I wouldn't t-tell him..." He began, unsure why he was telling a RED this. Then again, the BLU Spy (or Spycrab) was listening too. "He...just slammed me against the wall a few times before I finally told him everything...I even told him about the Spy's obsession with killing you..."

The Spycrab gasped. "Merde...he made you a target."

"What?" The RED Scout glared at the other Scout, but looked at the Spycrab for an explanation.

"I'm-I'm sorry!" The BLU Scout said, thinking the RED Scout was talking to him. "He threatened t-t-to knock my teeth out."

"It's a common trait for spies," He explained. "Judging by what the BLU Scout told him, he most likely sees you as a threat to him now."

"Great," Scout said sarcastically. " As if it wasn't bad enough having _you_ stalk me every battle."

"I'm not stalking you." responded the BLU Scout.

"Not you, the Spy!" He pointed to the Spycrab. "So... why did that new Spy hit you anyway? You pissed him off or somethin'?"

The BLU Scout nodded. " I-I wouldn't listen to him earlier, s-so I was punished for that. He doesn't like disobedience." His counterpart responded.

"Well that sucks." The RED Scout replied dryly.

The Spycrab scuttled up to the BLU Scout and pathetically attempted to hug his arm, the BLU Scout what he meant by that, though, and smiled very lightly. Although the BLU Spy was a crab now, he still felt very comforted by his presence. He turned to the RED Scout as he picked up the Spycrab again.

"Are...are you going to find a way to fix this?" He asked, not sounding demanding or anything.

Scout shrugged. "He owes me a free kill if I find an alternate way to lift this curse. So yeah...I'm gonna try."

"That sounds fair.., I guess," The BLU Scout, he perked up slightly before he spoke again. "Hey, m-maybe I can help out!"

"I don't think that's a good idea, man." Scout replied instantly.

Again with a hurt look. "Why not?"

"We're _enemies_ remember? E-N-E-M-I-E-S! If that ugly boss lady sees us workin' together she's gonna shit a brick!" He explained. "Besides, I don't plan on becomin' 'best buddies' with a wimp like **you**."

"Oh..." The BLU Scout sighed again. "Can...can I at least see the Spy every now and then? At least at night ...y'know, when everyone's asleep!"

The RED Scout was prepared to say 'no'; Having to be nice to the BLU Scout was painful enough, but having to act as an escort for the Spycrab so he could see his BLU counterpart was just...he couldn't even find a word to describe the feeling. It just wasn't a good feeling. That and he was tired of the Spycrab bossing him around.

He inhaled sharply to give the BLU Scout his answer, but froze when the BLU Scout looked at him slowly, making sure he was looking at him dead in the eyes. His face turned down slightly and his eyes peering up, very wide and sad looking, almost like he was about to cry if the Scout gave him the answer he didn't want. It didn't help that the Spycrab was giving him the same look.

"_Damn._" The RED Scout thought to himself, feeling a slight touch of sympathy for his counterpart. "Alright, fine! But** only** during the weekends!" He groaned. The BLU Scout responded with a little happy gasp and attempted to hug him again. The RED Scout stopped him in time though, keeping him at arms length. "And don't EVER touch me again!"

"Oh, o-ok, sorry." The other Scout smiled sheepishly. "Just..." He watched the Spycrab walk over slowly to the RED Scout and pulled himself into the boy's lap. "Just...take care of him, alright?"

"I've been doin' that for nearly a week an' a half now." The RED Scout replied, pulling himself onto his feet with the Spycrab in his hands. The BLU Scout did the same. "We should be gettin' back to our teams now, we've been gone for a while."

"Wait, c-can-can I give the Spy somethin'?"

The RED Scout let out another annoyed groan as the BLU Scout began shuffling through some of the baggage, eventually pulling out a light off-blue colored suitcase. As his counterpart opened the case, the Scout slowly lifted the Spycrab onto his shoulder, just because he felt like it.

"Here." The BLU Scout shoved a scarf into the RED Scout's hands. A simple blue colored scarf. He had a similar scarf, but colored red. "It's gonna be cold up there, an' he n-needs to keep warm."

"Y'know, I have a scarf just like this, he could th-"

"NO!" The BLU Scout said sternly. "It HAS to be **this** scarf."

The Scout blinked, slowly looking at the Spycrab, who shrugged in response. They were both confused, but looked at the BLU Scout with matching glances. The BLU Scout winced, slightly, looking around nervously.

"It's...uh...t-t-to remind him of where he belongs!" He said. "He-he belongs to BLU, yeah..."

"O-k..." replied the RED Scout as he slipped the scarf into his backpack.

"You'd probably want to keep that hidden at all times," The Spy said in the Scout's ear. "You wouldn't want your teammates to find out about this." Scout nodded in agreement.

When nothing else was said, the BLU Scout cleared his throat and made an attempt to get the door open again, but still had no luck. He grabbed the handle and tried pulling and slamming the door with his body, which only caused him to hurt himself. Without saying a word, the RED Scout pushed him aside and tried opening it himself. All it took was for him to push the handle down and the door opened. The BLU Scout's expression read '_How did you do that_?'.

"You were doin' it wrong." Scout said softly. The Spycrab couldn't help but chuckle. Both of the Scouts, in his mind, were just so adorable to him.

With a nod of thanks, his counterpart ran off. Quickly, although not as fast as the RED Scout (at least to him, he was), scampering through an empty passenger car towards the other train car that carried the BLU team. Once the BLU Scout was gone, Scout realized how the temperature had changed slightly. He shivered slightly. Even the Spycrab had retreated up into his hat. They must be nearing Coldfront, or at least a snow bank.

Scout quickly searched through the cargo, managing to find his own red colored sweater along with the other requested sweaters from this teammates. Although, returning everything to where he got them proved to be a challenge. He let out an annoyed hiss as he opted to just leave the suitcases where he found them. They weren't his problem anymore. The attendants who sort out the luggage and deliver them as the base were going to have problems though. Not that it mattered to the Scout, it wasn't his problem anymore.

He draped the sweaters over his arm. "You alright up there?" He asked the Spycrab.

"It's... getting cold." replied the crab. The Scout could feel the Spycrab shivering on his head.

"Don't worry, they should be turning on the heater," He said assumingly. "You'll be fine."

"I 'ope you are right." Spy replied, weakly.

"_His accent is thicker, that's not good."_ The Scout thought to himself as he headed off to return to the RED Team.

* * *

It was slightly warmer in the passenger car when the Scout finally sat down in his seat, although not by much. He slipped on his sweater and rubbed his arms to warm up a little more. At least his teammates were thankful for him brining them their sweaters, especially the Medic for some reason. The doctor didn't seem to be wearing it, unlike the Heavy who looked like a giant cheery in his red sweater. Scout was convinced it cost extra for the large Russian's sweater and uniform due to his size. Not that he'd complain about it, the Heavy was very useful to the team.

The Spycrab popped out from the Scout's hat, but almost retreated back in. It was much warmer in the Scout's hat, then out in the open. Scout heard the Spycrab make a confused whimper, not sure he wanted to be out or not. Eventually, he slowly slid out and quickly nuzzled himself up against the Scout's warm neck.

"Eet iz going to be murder when we get to the Coldfront." The Spycrab said.

"Relax," whispered the Scout. "When we arrive, I'll freakin' RUN like hell to the base so we can get you all warmed up 'n stuff."

"Thank you, Scout." The Spycrab nuzzled harder.

"Easy! Yer gonna push yourself _inside_ of me if you keep that up," The Scout cringed slightly. "Cut it out!"

"But...you are just** so** warm~" He purred.

"Dude! .Out!" Scout tried not to raise his voice, he knew it would draw unwanted attention.

"Ah, you are so fun to tease." Chuckled the Spycrab, he backed off a bit, but remained close against Scout's neck. He let out a satisfied sigh as the Scout leaned back in his seat.

Scout crossed his arms as he looked up at the ceiling. He knew how the Spy was cursed to take the form of a crab now, but while the reasons behind it was still unclear, at least he knew what to research for. Hopefully Coldfront's living quarters would have a library or anything with books. His own experiences with ghosts were limited; When he once saw the ghost of Zepheniah Mann at the Harvest, his first instincts were to turn and run like a scared little girl. He also screamed like one as well before running.

He rested his feet against the back of the seat in front of him. At the moment, there wasn't anything he could really do other than wait till they got to their destination. It was already sunset outside and he predicted arriving at Coldfront in the morning. Early or late morning probably.

The Bostonian could help but look at the crab resting on his shoulder, he envied the man...crab's patience. Both with the train ride and just the Scout's stubbornness. Had the Scout been cursed and had to rely on the BLU Spy for survival and just returning back into a human all together, well, Scout would've snapped by the end of the day.

"Spy?" Scout asked, very softly.

There was a slight pause before the Spy answered. He was in the mood for a nap due to the warmth from the Scout. "Yes?" He answered, just as softly.

"Did...um...did I say anything...y'know, embarrassing when I was drunk?" Scout asked as he pulled his legs up to his chest.

The Spycrab smiled and let out a very faint chuckle. "Non. You were quite...well behaved... for your first round with alcohol."

"Good!" Scout let out a relieved sigh. "Are you sure I was the one who took off my clothes though?"

"Oui."

"That means 'yes', right?"

"Oui."

"Alright...just checkin'."

* * *

The BLU Scout couldn't help but smile to himself as he ran back to the BLU passenger car. It may be a while, but at least BLU was going to get their old Spy back. He could care less about what was going to happen to the new Spy, that man was just too much of a loose cannon. At least to the Scout he was, Scout was unsure if his other teammates saw what _he_ saw in that man. It scared him a bit to find out what the new Spy was like on the field; He was cruel off the field and that made BLU Scout was thankful he wasn't a RED when it came time to fight again.

He was nearing the other side of an empty train car when something grabbed his arm, he jerked around in time to see his new teammate uncloak. Thankfully not smiling this time.

The BLU Scout let out an annoyed growl. "Y-y-you are a **predictable** jackass, ya know that?" He grunted as he tried to jerk his arm away from the Spy, but the Spy's grip was too strong.

"If I am so 'predictable' as you say, then why did you not try to avoid me as you passed?" asked the Spy.

"I-I dunno."

The Spy let out a loud cackle. "Aye-Aye?" He snorted. "You are a sailor now?"

"Don't make fun of me!" The Scout snapped. "I don't freakin' t-tease you 'bout your stupid French accent."

"That is because there is noz'hing wrong with me," The Spy grinned as he pulled the Scout closer, wrapping his arm around the young man's hips and keeping a strong grip on his arm. The Scout cringed as he pushed away desperately. "Now zhen, why are you 'ere and not sitting next to **me**?"

"Because I **don't **like you!" hissed the BLU Scout.

"Aww, and I thought we connected so well yesterday." mocked the new Spy, faking a depressed tone.

"The only connection w-we had was your fist to my face!" Scout retorted, disdainfully.

"Well, could you blame me? You did bite me after all."

"What do you want with me?" Scout half-regretted spitting that out, he just wanted to get it over with so the Spy would get his hands off him. He shivered again when the Spy grinned, as if expecting Scout to ask him that.

"I am so glad you asked," He purred, finally letting go of Scout's arm. "I do believe our little talk was rudely interrupted yesterday..." by 'interrupted', he meant the BLU Scout kneeing him in the groin and running off. A little tid-bit the BLU Scout regretting not mentioning to the RED Scout. The BLU Spy frowned slightly as he grabbed the underside of the Scout's jaw. "...you should know 'ow important information ez to a spy, mon ami."

The Scout looked at him in both confusion and terror. "All I want to know is why my predecessor favored the RED Scout, zhat is all." He tightened his grip, forcing a pained whine from the Bostonian. "I am sure you are the one to know."

The Spy released the Scout's jaw slightly. "I seriously **don't** know!" The Scout yelled. "I've been askin' myself the s-s-same question for months now! He never told me! I don't even thinks **HE** knows why!"

A low and angry groan emanated from the new Spy as he suddenly released the BLU Scout and pushed him away. "You are worthless zhen..." The Spy sighed. "Get out of my sight."

The BLU Scout didn't hesitate to turn and run towards the exit, wanting to get as far away from the Spy as possible. Once alone, the Spy took one last drag from the remainder of his cigarette before dropping it on floor and stopping it out. He quickly lit another cigarette as he turned towards the direction of the RED passenger car.

"So...zee RED Scout," He said to himself. "It ez going to be interesting to see what the last Spy saw in zhat boy..."

* * *

Hours passed. Without anything to do or talk about, the Scout followed the Spycrab's lead by laying down to rest. It was dark outside, so it made snuggling down on the seat a lot easier for the young man. He pushed his backpack up against the wall and used it as a pillow as he laid down on the seat. The Spycrab snuggled under his chin, a pleasant smile plastered on his face as he slept. Beyond happy for some odd reason, probably because he and the Scout were unintentionally snuggling together and he got a chance to take in the Scout's scent again. He was convinced it was the boy's aroma that gave him such sweet dreams while he slept.

"Does Doktor think mountain air will help Leetle Scout?" The RED Heavy's rough voice woke the Spycrab, but not the Scout.

He looked up and saw the Heavy and Medic at the end of the seat, looking down on the Scout.

"I hope so, herr Heavy." Sighed the Medic. "He's been so stressed lately, especially after his breakdown." The Medic had his sweater draped over his arm, the Spy noted that the Medic never wore it even though he requested the Scout to bring it to him.

The Heavy huffed. "Leetle Scout did NOT have break down," He pouted slightly. "He had fight with leetle crab! But is ok! Scout and crab are friends now."

"Heavy, zhe Scout said zhe crab vas _talking_ to him! Und not to mention him yelling at windows as vell!" Medic pointed out.

"Maybe windows are giving Scout hard time." Shrugged the Heavy.

"I highly doubt zhat." The Medic said as he leaned in slightly, slowly draping his sweater over the Scout. He cooed something gently in German as he removed the Scout's ear piece and hat. "I hope he cheers up vhen we get to zhe Coldfront."

"I am troubled that leetle Scout does not want to spend time with us anymore." The Heavy looked like he was about to burst into tears. The Medic smiled as he patted the large Russian on the arm.

"Don't vorry, herr Heavy, Scout vill get better, I'm sure he vas just angry at me for-"

The Heavy gasped, interrupting the Medic as he shook a finger at the German accusingly. "Doktor should not blame himself!" He said sternly. "Is NOT your fault! Is window's fault."

Another sigh from the Medic, he didn't know how he was going to convince the stubborn Russian that windows weren't the cause of the Scout's anti-social behavior. The Spycrab remained quiet, not that any of the could hear him. Eventually, the two REDs walked off, although he could still hear them talking. It was a relief to know how close some of the REDs were to each other. He assumed the RED Medic acted like the mother hen of the team much like the BLU Medic. Although the BLU Medic was very quiet and often liked being alone, but when someone was hurt - physically or emotionally- he would be there in a heart beat, wanting to fix it in someway. The Spy wasn't ashamed to admit he missed the BLU Medic, he was close with that man as well, mostly because the BLU Medic kept a very close eye on the BLU Scout. That boy was so fragile; He could only hope the Medic was keeping the BLU Scout safe while he was gone.

The RED Scout mumbled something in his sleep before grabbing the sweater and shifting positions. Promptly knocking the Spycrab onto the floor.

* * *

-_Coldfont Station 8:30 A.M_.-

The Scout was still sleep. Curled into a tight fetal position and sucking on the knuckle of his thumb. He clung to the Medic's sweater like a security blanket as he continued to mumble in his sleep. It was pathetic, yet oddly cute at the same time.

The brakes of the train let out a loud screech as the train slowed down, eventually coming to a sudden stop. The jerk was enough to make the Scout fall onto the floor, almost crushing the Spycrab -who wasn't able to climb back up onto the seat and just decided to sleep there for the night. Scout sat up immediately after recovering from the fall.

"I'm awake!" He announced defensively, but rubbed the back of his head to ease the pain.

"Good for you." The RED Spy said sarcastically as he stood up from his seat.

The Scout brushed himself off before he finally noticed the Spycrab on the floor. Staring up at the Scout with wide eyes, trying to recover from the Scout falling on top of him.

"Shit, are you alright?" He asked, bending down to pick up the blue crab.

"Oui," wheezed the Spycrab. "I am fine." He gasped as he laid on his stomach in the Scout's hands. "You are heavier zhan you look."

"I'm also taller than you, so 'dat could be a contributing factor."

"Been reading the dictionary, 'ave you?"

"Shut up."

The Spycrab let out a silent gasp when he saw another RED approach from behind the Scout. Without thinking he immediately jumped at the Scout's neck, quickly slipping inside the Scout's shirt. The boy jerked a bit, feeling the Spycrab slid down his chest.

"SHIT YER FREAKIN' **FREEZING**!" Scout yelled, stopping his foot, trying to adjust to the sudden cold crab crawling down his shirt.

Everyone looked at the Scout, who slowly looked back at them from over his shoulder.

"He's doin' it again." Scout heard the Demoman whispered to the Pyro, who let out a muffled giggle.

"Uh..." He couldn't think of an excuse to say.

"Very good, Scout," The RED Spy said, again, being very sarcastic. "That foggy residue on zhe window is called con-den-sation."

The Scout narrowed his eyes at the tall Frenchmen. He glared over at the Soldier who was laughing and muttering about him yelling at the window.

"I wasn't yelling at the window, guys!" He said.

The RED Spy crossed his arms. "Then what were you yelling at, boy?" He asked.

"I was...Eeeh!" The Spycrab was shifting around on his stomach now. "Ok! Fine! AaaH! I was yelling at the window, ok?" He heard the Spy snort behind him, trying his 'hardest' not to laugh. Scout knew it was all an act.

"I knew it!" The Soldier laughed. "hehe, windows..."

" HERR SPY!" The Medic snapped, swatting the man from behind the head. "Leave zhe Scout alone! Jetzt!"

The Spy shrugged simply, although he glared daggers at the Medic for hitting him, before turning to leave the car without the other REDs. The Scout tried to get the Spycrab out of his shirt, but found it difficult due to his teammates starring at him and from feeling the cold air from the outside slowly flow inside. It wasn't going to do the Spy any good with the freezing temperature and his crab body.

"Cold, are you?" Asked the Medic, staying behind to make sure everyone else got off ok.

"...Maybe..." Scout muttered. He looked at the sweater that was wrapped around him earlier. "Did you do that?"

"Ja, zhat vas me," Medic chuckled. "Force of-"

"Nature?" Scout said cheerfully.

"...Habit." Medic finished, a bit ticked at being interrupted.

"Oh," He folding the sweater, very poorly, and handed it back to the Medic. "Whatever."

Without saying a word, the Bostonian quickly slipped back on his hat and ear piece and followed the Heavy out of the passenger car. The Medic followed closely behind. A harsh, bitter breeze stopped the runner dead in his tracks when he reached the door. Scout winced slightly when the Medic placed a hand gently on his shoulder with a concerned look.

He looked at the Medic over his shoulder. "I_ still_ hate snow."

The German gently gave the Scout a light push to get him moving again. "You vill get use to it." said the Medic.

* * *

**Author's note: **The BLU Scout calling the new BLU Spy "a predictable jackass" is just my way of breaking the forth wall. A momentary break of character. ^^;


	19. You're Welcome

_I apologize for the length it took to update. Writer's block, followed by a lot of editing._

_I still find this chapter to be disappointing. :_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 19** - _You're Welcome_

"Take in that sweet, all-American mountain air, boys!" The Red Soldier announced proudly as he stepped off of the train onto the Coldfront Station platform and inhaled deeply. "Ah! Beautiful!"

"Smells like one of my air fresheners after a typhoon." Sniper commented, sniffing the air tentatively as he looked at the patches of frost that speckled the station floor.

The Soldier shot a paranoid glare at the Aussie from over his shoulder. "Oh right, you're from the Outback. They don't get snow, do they?"

"Well, there was this one year when-"

"NOT INTERESTED!"

The Sniper remained quiet, only shaking his head and sighing as he watched the pompous American strut off. At least he and the others had finally stopped making snarks about him being a possible homosexual. Perhaps it was the Scout's constant- but other wise random- outbursts that helped put an end to the rumor. It was still going to take some time for everyone to feel comfortable around him again, though. True or not, accusations like that stick.

The Scout let out a violent and vocal shudder when he encountered the rush of bitter cold air. His hands immediately dove into the warmth of his own underarms, while still being mindful to support the Spycrab under his shirt to prevent the crustacean from toppling out. The boy's teeth began to chatter as he took small steps onto the treacherously smooth tiles of the station, almost falling on his rear when he stepped onto a frozen puddle left by a water fountain.

"SHIT!" He gasped, grabbing a nearby bench to catch his fall.

"Careful, Herr Scout." The Medic smiled pleasantly as he walked past the slightly stunned runner. "Are you in need of assistance?"

"NO! I can handle myself!" The Scout snapped defensively.

The Medic only shrugged and continued on his way, the Heavy close behind like a loyal pet. The young Bostonian managed to regain his footing and stood still a moment to make sure he wouldn't slip again. He let out a snort suddenly, trying his hardest not to giggle as the Spycrab inside his shirt suddenly began to crawl up the Scout's chest and poked his head out from the collar of the Scout's shirt.

"Dude! Don't do that, it tickles." The Scout smiled, the Spycrab looked up at him with a little happy smile of his own.

A few tall men dressed in grey uniforms walked wordlessly past the Scout, not so much as looking at the boy as they walked in a straight line towards the train's cargo cars.

"Hmm..." The Spycrab eyed them suspiciously, but didn't dwell on the matter. "We'd best get moving, Scout. I have a feeling it's bound to get colder soon."

"Right," agreed Scout. "You warm enough down there?"

"Oh, it's very warm." The Spycrab said cheerfully, snuggling deeper into the shirt, but keeping himself in the Scout's view. "Thank you."

"No prob.," Scout took one last look at the man in grey, watching them as they lined up. Some of the men climbed into the cargo cars and began tossing luggage down to the other men in line. Scout remained silent, subtly placing a hand on his chest to support the Spycrab as he began to walk again, slowly picking up the pace to catch up with his teammates.

"Scout! Slow down!"

It was too late. The thin ice laying in wait on the stairs brought the Scout to what seemed like his fiftieth downfall in his 24 hours of post-inebriated pandemonium.

_

* * *

_

It took about an hour for them to finally reach the RED base of the Coldfront. Parked just outside the train station were several jeeps with the usual '_TF Industries'_ painted on the doors, and the usual silent men dressed in grey stood before the caravan waiting for them. Without saying a word, they directed the new arrivals into the vehicles and drove them up to the battlefield. Scout felt the whole ordeal was kind of creepy, mostly because the Soldier tried talking to one of the men and got no response - not that it stopped the Soldier from continuing to speak. Scout remained silent, despite the fact that the Sniper - who sat behind him – had tried several times to strike up a conversation with him during the ride. Scout paid on attention. There was really nothing for him to say at the moment. It was nice to know the Sniper was cheering up though.

It was going to take another hour for their luggage to be delivered, which gave the mercenaries of RED an opportunity to explore the base. They had all been to the Coldfront base before, but even when returning to bases they had called home for months in the past, reentering these places felt like seeing them for the first time.

The first place the Scout headed for was the bedrooms. He'd worry about exploring the base later; he was more interested in getting a certain crab out from under his shirt. A few of the other REDs were following after him, probably with the same intention of settling in before looking around.

Coldfront's living quarters were different from 2fort's. It was smaller, but at the same time, slightly bigger. If that made sense. To the Scout it seemed smaller, but once he made it through the living room to the kitchen, he noticed the difference. The place had a smaller living room to allow room for a bigger kitchen. Thinking about it, he could understand why…probably due to the weather. When things got cold, it would be nice to have a hot meal to warm you up. Therefore, you'd want to be in the kitchen and eat your food while it was still hot. Had you waited to take it into either your room or the living room, it would've cooled down and warming yourself up would've taken longer. Scout nodded slightly, seemed logical to him.

It took the Scout a while to finally locate the rooms meant for the classes to sleep in. A long hallway, with doors that each had a class name taped to it, was a dead giveaway. He wondered if the other RED team had done that or if someone else had come inside the base to give it a thorough cleaning before they arrived.

"_Oh well_," He thought to himself. "_At least I know I won't be sleeping in the other Heavy's bed._"

Scout hummed to himself as he walked down the hallway, checking each door for his class name. He tapped each door once as he passed it before finally finding a door upon which the designation "Scout" was listed on a white slip of paper taped onto the middle of the door. With a satisfied grin, he took the time to rip the paper gleefully off the door before opening it and stepping inside.

Once he was in, his cheerful demeanor faded. He cringed and let out strangled gasps, pulling at his shirt a few times before finally leaning against the door and yanking at the collar of his shirt, stretching it open to pull the Spycrab out.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He gasped as he strode across the room and placed the Spycrab atop the folded sheets stacked neatly on the bed. "I didn't say you could jump down my shirt!"

"You didn't seem to mind earlier," replied the Spycrab. "Besides, it was quite warm in there...nuzzled up to your soft-"

Scout held up his hand to stop the crab mid sentence. "Ok! You can just stop right there, man! I know exactly where you are goin' with 'dat and I do NOT approve."

The Spycrab looked around the modest room from where he sat, noting the newly cleaned scent of room and how some previously torn pieces of the wallpaper appeared to have undergone repair. Perhaps the room was prepared for the Scout's arrival before the other RED team had left for 2Fort. Surely, he thought, the cleaning and repairs couldn't be the work of the previous RED Scout, as no scout had that kind of patience and consideration. It was also evident that the bed sheets had been washed as well. The Spycrab could smell the lingering scent of the laundry detergent. All in all though, the bedroom looked almost identical to the room back at 2fort.

He watched the Scout shrug the bag off his shoulders and toss it onto the chair beside the standard-issue desk. Scout paused to gaze idly about the room as well before opening the door to his closet to inspect it. Once satisfied, he meandered over to an unfamiliar door and opened it slowly. The Spycrab looked up when the Scout disappeared into the smaller room behind the door.

"Aw, sweet!" He heard the Scout cheer. "I got my own private bathroom!"

"Bathtub or shower?" Spycrab called out.

"It's both!" The Scout let out a laugh. "Man, why don't we have these back at 2fort?"

"Probably because an open shower, like the one back in 2fort, would not have warmed you up," The Spycrab shrugged. "The shower back home was built to get you clean and provide fast relief from the region's heat."

He heard the handles squeak as the Scout turned the faucets on – yet he heard no rush of water.

"There's no water," Scout announced as he reset the levers back to the 'off' position. "Are the pipes frozen or something?"

The Spy didn't answer. The Scout eventually walked out of the bathroom and froze in the middle of the room. It took him a while to notice there was no power in the building, or heat.

"Why is it so cold in here?" Scout complained as he plopped down gracelessly onto the bed beside the crab as he rubbed his hands together.

"It has been void of any activity for a while," explained the Spycrab. "Naturally it would be cold due to the amount of snow."

"Jeez, do they expect us to freeze to death of somethin'?"

"Non, they have a heating system." He pointed to a nearby vent with his claw. Scout looked at it. "Perhaps your Engineer will know something about how to turn it on."

Scout frowned slightly, pursing his lips as he stood up again. "In these conditions, he better." He snatched his bag from its place on his chair, pulled it open, and rummaged through it until he found the BLU Scout's scarf. " I'll see if I can get ol' Hard-hat to heat things up, you just focus on keepin' warm, alright?" He wrapped the scarf sloppily around the Spycrab, who ended up looking like a dark blue egg in a light blue nest. "Uh...is that helping any?"

"I...could use another," The Spycrab answered, looking up at the Scout awkwardly from the mass of cotton. "Did you bring yours?"

"Yeah, it's in my bag." Scout reached into his backpack again.

"Why didn't you wear it? You'll catch a cold that way, Scout." The Spycrab said, sounding very concerned.

"I hate scarves," The Scout said as he pulled out his own scarf from the bad. "I swear its always choking me when I wear it."

"Perhaps you have it worn too tightly around your neck." Scout didn't say a word as he draped his red colored scarf over the rest of the Spycrab, gently tucking it inside the blue scarf.

"I'm gonna go talk to Hard-Hat, **you** stay out of trouble." Scout said sternly to the Spycrab. He almost slapped himself for sounding his own mother.

"I can't move." The Spycrab replied, looking quite pathetic with two scarves wrapped around him to the point that only his eyes and mouth was visible.

"But you are warm, right?"

"For the most part, yes."

"Good! Now don't complain!"

The Scout rose to his feet once more and headed toward the door, casting a final glance toward the wrapped up Spycrab before slipping out to find the Engineer. The Spycrab was already bored from the moment the door closed. He could take a nap again, but he felt like he was getting pretty lazy as of late. There really wasn't much he could do as a crab. He missed the action of the fight, or at least the thrill of hunting down the RED Scout. The boy kept him in shape! At least…he did when they were on opposite sides. Now that he was, for the moment, playing the role of the RED Scout's roommate, the only exercise he was getting was the sudden dash for a hiding place whenever another RED showed up. He was going to have to think of some way to avoid getting the Scout into trouble, or at least, minimize the incidents perpetuating the suspicion that the Scout yelled at windows. The RED team were a bunch of idiots.

* * *

"Yo! Hard-Hat!" The Scout tapped on the Engineer's door, which was open. He didn't even know why he was trying to be polite.

The Engineer looked over his shoulder at the Bostonian as he was straightening out the sheets on his bed. "Oh, hey there!" He smiled. "What kind I do ya fer?"

"Glad you asked, think you can fire up the heat for this place?" Scout asked. "I'm freezin' here!"

"Oh sure, I can do that, let me just wrap things up here right quick..." He quickly tucked in the blankets to the side of the bed before straightening up and heading towards the door. "Everything goin' alright with y'all?"

"I didn't come here to chat with ya, man." Scout replied, stepping aside for the Texan to get out.

"Well, too bad," He grabbed the Scout's arm and pulled him down the hall with him. "I might need some help anyway, an' you're taller than me."

"Seriously?" This was a first for Scout. "You never needed my help before."

"Could be because we never had to use the heater before," Engineer chuckled. "Even when it rained at 2fort it was warm."

"An' humid," Added the Scout. "I hate the rain."

Engineer laughed again. "You hate a lot of things, boy." He grinned. "Guess that's kind of what we need to fight this war. Nuthin' but hate and the will to kill."

The Scout pulled his arm out of the Engineer's grasp, able to follow the man without the thought of running off. He was curious with what the Texan needed him for. The runner guessed things were going to be slightly different since they were in a different territory that they rarely visited. Usually when there was a task, such as basic maintenance, machine repairs, or just installing new gadgets to the base, the Engineer always did it alone. Although, sometimes some of the other REDs would accompany him to learn a few things themselves. Mostly it was the Sniper or Pyro.

"Kind of weird," The Engineer continued. "BLU got a new Spah. An' his first fight 'gainst us is gonna be **here**. In snow country."

"Why did you bring that up?"

Engineer shrugged. "Well, what happened to the last Spah? Y'know, the one givin' you trouble."

"_He got turned into a crab by a pissed off ghost and now he's living in my room_." Scout thought to himself. "I dunno." He lied.

"Mighty strange." said the Engineer.

Scout took an opportunity to quickly look around the other rooms as he followed the Engineer, taking mental notes of where to find things and what rooms to look for. The Engineer continued to talk, but the Scout stopping paying attention after a while. Answering to most of the mechanic's statements with a simple "Uh-huh." "Yeah." "That's awesome." "You don't say." as they walked through the base. The runner was more interested in searching for a library or anything that he could get information as ghosts or curses or anything he could use to help the Spycrab.

"Hey, Hard-Hat?" He asked. "You know anything 'bout ghosts?"

"Ghosts?" Engineer responded with an amused tone. "Why the sudden interest in those things?"

"I...uh...heard from the other RED Spy that this place is haunted," He lied. The Engineer seemed to believe that. "Can they curse things...or something?"

"Well, from what I've heard on the subject, restless spirits can haunt places that's either too precious to them or have vexed them in someway, that's all I know. At least that's why my Pa told me when I was a young'in," He nodded. "Why? You believe in ghosts?"

" Maybe."

"Well, I highly doubt there's anything hauntin' this place, 'less you count our own team spook." The Engineer chuckled at his own joke, "Don' worry, that other Spah is jus' tryin' to pull yer leg."

Scout couldn't help but think about the other RED Spy. That man seemed wise to him, mostly with the big words he used and sage-like advice. He was thankful the Spycrab translated for him, or else he would've looked like an idiot just sitting there like a gaping goldfish. Maybe that other Spy knew something about ghosts. Or better yet, something that could help break the curse. Anything really. _Something_ had to work. Because it was going to be a cold day in hell before the Scout every decides to lower himself to kissing a crab. A crab that use to be a man.

Eventually the Scout and Engineer found the maintenance room where the Engineer suspected the switch to the heater was. It took both of them to pull the door open due to the thin layer of frost surrounding it. They weren't surprised to see the lights inside the room were off.

"I should've brought mah flashlight with me." The Engineer sighed.

"Do they keep the power station, like, somewhere else or somethin'?" Scout asked.

"The power grid is located outside, it's always close to the maintenance room." Explained the Engineer. He paused when he saw the skeptical stare the Scout was giving him. "eh, after a while every base starts lookin' the same."

"Ah," Scout said. "Hey, you want me to flip the power on for ya?"

"That'd be a big help," the Texan nodded. "It should be outside that door over there." He pointed to the door he was talking about, Scout nodded. "I'm not sure which switch is the one for the power, so just start at the top and work your way down. Who knows, maybe they labeled them fer us."

"Hope so," Scout said as he jogged over to the door. "I don't wanna freeze out there!"

"I'll give a holler when y' got the power on!"

* * *

The Scout let out a low growl when he noticed it was starting to snow. He tucked his hands under his armpits again as he walked around the building to find the power box the Engineer spoke of. The snow was already ankle deep, and that made walking in general a challenge for him. How he was going to run in the snow tomorrow was what worried him. Well, at least it would slow down the others, so he really didn't have much to complain about, except for how cold he was at the moment, even with his sweater on.

It didn't take him long to find the power box. It was frozen shut like the maintenance door, but Scout didn't have any trouble pulling it open on his own. The grid was lined with small black switches, and only a few were labeled while the rest were left blank. Scout noticed a switch labeled 'water' and immediately switched that one on. He heard a low rumble from underneath his feet that slowly faded away. Water was on.

"Ok..." He said to himself. "Now which one is power?"

He scrolled up and down the line of switches with his finger, randomly switching one to the 'on' position and calling out to the Engineer as loud of he can to see if the switch did anything. The Engineer would reply with am equally loud "Nope!", which left the Scout the return the switch to its previous position and try another switch.

"This is takin' forever!" Scout groaned.

Scout almost felt like giving up after a few more failed switch attempts. Eventually, after hearing the Engineer yell out "Nope!" for eighth time - or twelfth time, Scout lost count after the third time- Scout slammed his fist against the wall. An evident sign that he was giving up. He slammed the box closed and turned to head back inside, maybe switch places with the Engineer instead. Let that Texan freeze to death for a change. Not that he wanted the Engineer to die, he just really hated the snow.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a hiss behind him. He had heard that sound before, not from the water turning on, but from...somewhere...else...

"Oh god..."

Scout leaned forward a bit to break into a dash. He was grabbed suddenly from behind and slammed against the wall. The BLU Spy. Scout let out an audible gasp, inhaling sharply in response to the pain of the sudden impact. Borderline déjà vu with the RED Sniper, but this time is was an enemy Spy. Scout didn't know if he should call out for help or not. If he did, would the new BLU Spy kill him? Was Respawn even on? Scout didn't even want to know what the BLU Spy would do to him if he remained undetected. Too late though. The BLU Spy lightly grasped his neck, threateningly pressing his thumb against the Scout's windpipe. A definite '_scream and you'll die'_ threat.

"So..." began the BLU Spy, clicking his tongue slightly. "_You_ are zee RED Scout?"

"No, I'm really the Heavy on one of those German diet plans," Scout answered sarcastically. " Oh course I'm the Scout! What of it?" The BLU Spy blew a thick cloud of smoke from his cigarette into the Scout's face, causing the Bostonian to cough violently.

"Hmm..." The Spy's curious expression didn't change, he kept the Scout pinned to the wall as he looked the runner over. "You're zee reason behind my predecessor's demise? Really?" He didn't sound impressed at all. Scout glared at him. "My teammates must 'ave been exaggerating, you are no'zhing but a little brat!"

"Get yer hands off me!" Scout hissed. Again, the Spy exhaled the smoke into his face, making him cough again.

"Non, I think not," The Spy pursed his lips slightly as he removed his hand from the Scout's neck and proceeded to grab the underside of the Scout's jaw. Slowly, moving the Scout's head from side to side, taking a closer look at him. He couldn't help but grin when he noticed how the Scout's eyes were glued onto him the whole time. It quickly faded though when he spoke up again. "Huh...an average face, nothing special...or attractive about you..."

"What the hell are you **doin**'?" demanded the Scout, jerking his face out of the Spy's grasp.

"Hush now! I am trying to find what zee last Spy found so fascinating about you. Per'aps...it ez an emotional thing? Non. Zhat cannot be. Who **would**? Maybe...you stole money from him?"

Scout paused slightly, his right eye twitched a bit. "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?" His voice echoed loudly throughout the empty buildings.

"Oh come now, would you _please_ behave yourself?" The Spy sighed. "I said 'please', so you 'ave to do what I say."

"What the hell do you think this is? A game of 'Simon says'?" Scout spat in the Spy's face, making the man flinch, leaving an opening for the Scout to attack. He still wasn't sure if Respawn was back on, so he didn't want to risk getting himself killed permanently. Once the Spy had let go of him to rub the spit out of his eyes, the Scout curled his hand into a tight fist and swung it as hard as he could into the Spy's stomach, knocking the wind out of the man, and leaving another standing opening for the Scout to make an escape.

The BLU Spy fell to his knees, trying his hardest to catch his breath. He honestly never expected **that** to happen. Truthfully, he thought the RED Scout was just as pathetic as the BLU Scout. How he hated being wrong! He drew in several gasps of breath as he watched the Scout run off. Nobody had ever fought back before; then again, he had threatened them with a knife. This was just to satisfy his curiosity about the RED Scout. Clearly this young man was going to be a tough one to fight on the field - and the RED Scout made it a _personal_ matter the moment he chose to fight back. He was not going to be making that mistake again.

* * *

The Spycrab looked up slowly when he heard the doorknob turn, immediately borrowing down into his soft cocoon, fearing it was another RED. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the Scout slip in and slam the door shut behind him, breathing heavily though his clenched teeth as he pressed himself up against the door. Small flakes of snow slid off his clothes and landed on the floor, melting quickly upon impact.

The crab blinked a few times before the Scout moved again. "That was quick." He stated.

He didn't receive a response, which worried the Spy a bit. It was hard to tell if the Scout was cold or nervous. The Bostonian's body language said both, but his facial expression told another story…anger? The crab wiggled out from the nest of neckwear and scuttled across the mattress to get closer to the boy. "Is everything alright?" He asked.

"Yeah! Totally! Water's on! Yeah." Scout finally answered, talking rather quickly as he moved in the direction of the bathroom. "I...uh...I gotta bathe, like, now."

"Now? But...the heat isn't on yet," The Scout ignored him, quickly stripping off his shirt and tossing it aside. "Scout? Scout, wait! You shouldn't-" His warning fell of deaf ears; the Scout had already slammed the bathroom door shut behind him. The Spycrab huffed, he took a deep breath to attempt to warn the runner one more time. "THE WATER HEATER ISN'T ON, BOY! THE WATER IS-" He heard the water switch on. "Oh, merde."

All he could do was cringe when he heard the Scout let out a loud, alarmed scream from inside the bathroom.

"SHIT! IT'S COLD! WHY DOES EVERYTHING HERE HAVE TO BE COLD?" screamed the Scout, followed by the painful sounds of slipping on a slick surface and landing hard in the middle of the tub, only to be splashed with more cold water. "AAAAAAUUUUGHHHHHH!"

The Spycrab let out a sigh, shrugging to himself. "Better _you _than me, I suppose." He chuckled.

His grin widened as the Scout emerged from the bathroom with cold water dripping off the tips of his fingers and clad in a soaked pair of pants. The over-all state of being at once cold and wet triggered violent shivers as the Bostonian glared daggers at the crustacean on his bed. The Spycrab opened his mouth to say something witty, but the Scout held up his hand to silence him.

"Don't even bother," He said. " I _know_, I know. I should've listened to you."

Again the Spycrab chuckled. "We all have our little habits, princess."

"I'm **not** a princess!" Scout snapped, before crossing his arms over his torso. "An' stop starin' at my chest!"

"You break my heart, Scout," replied the Spycrab, dramatically bringing one claw to rest above his eyes and the other across its chest as he feigned moral emotional injury, batting his small, dark eyes. "Shame on you."

* * *

The young mercenary had to track down the Pyro to ask for help with the water heater. He knew nothing about appliances himself, but occasionally the Pyro had performed miracles before. Scout recalled seeing the whatever-the-hell-Pyro-was fix a broken down Teleporter with a paperclip and a chewed up wad of bubblegum. Maybe Pyro knew something about water heaters.

At first Scout was a bit reluctant to ask, but he was surprised when to the firebug offered to switch it on before Scout could even explain everything to him/her/it, and skipping out happily with its flamethrower. The Scout had no experience with heaters or pilot lights, so he figured the Pyro had it all under control. Although he did get a little skeptical when the Sniper asked what was going on, and after explaining everything the Sniper immediately cringed and took off running after the Pyro. Yelling something about Pyro killing everyone, but the Scout was really too focused on a warm shower to worry about that.

Despite having to wait for the water heater to warm up before he tried to take another shower, Scout did not return to assist the Engineer. He had a feeling the engineer was going to yell at him for running off when the Spy jumped him , so he stayed locked in his room to avoid confrontation. Besides, it was evident by ghastly shudders and groans from deep within the bowels of the base and the rush of warm air into the room that the Engineer had things under control. He'd managed to get the heat and power on just fine without Scout's help.

The Bostonian sat silently on his bed, still remaining shirtless and- now damp- pants and socks. It would've been a waist of time to change into dry clothes, only to have to take them off again when it was ok to shower. He didn't have to worry about the Spycrab starring at him as he sat there either. Mostly because the cursed Frenchmen was busy looking for a towel to help out the Scout. Scout sat with his back against the wall and his knees pulled up to his chest.

According to the Spy, while he was out helping the Engineer, their things were finally delivered. The crab hid himself under the Scout's pillow as the men in grey barged into the room unannounced, carrying suitcases with the Scout's clothes and boxes filled with miscellaneous junk the boy had collected over the years. Although the Scout didn't respond. This was enough to tell the Spycrab what happened.

"I take it you ran into that new Spy?" The Spycrab asked, perched inside an opened suitcase.

Scout's eyes widened. "What gave you that idea?"

"Just a wild guess. You're always quiet when something bad has happened." The Spy grinned when he found a pair of the Scout's briefs in the suitcase, he slowly set them aside to continue searching through the baggage. "I'm right...aren't I?"

No answer.

"Scout?"

He heard a grunt from the RED, followed by the creaking of the springs from the bed. Turning around slowly, he saw the Scout push himself off the bed and walk over to the suitcase next to the one he was searching through. The Spycrab let out a low murmur when he saw the Scout knew where the towels were located and had said nothing to him about it.

"Water should be warm now." Scout replied, finally.

The Spycrab watched the Scout open the case and quickly grab a towel that was inside. He didn't like it when the runner was uncharacteristically quiet. Although, the Spycrab figured it was because the Scout was still embarrassed about slipping in the shower, or that new BLU Spy had done something to upset the boy. Then again, the Spycrab recalled how stubborn the Scout can be at times.

Scout stood up and ventured into the bathroom. The small crab finally jumped out of the briefcase and scuttled after him seconds when he heard water running from the bathroom. Hopefully, the Scout will finally tell him what happened. Maybe he was quiet because he just wanted to bathe so badly. Spy thought that was pretty amusing; Scout kept his room a mess, but he was concerned for how clean his own body was.

The bathroom was already feeling like a sauna as the Spycrab entered, his tiny steps tapped loudly on the tiled floor as he scampered in. He stood in the middle of the room, listening to the Scout complain and yell. He didn't process most of the Scout's gibberish, entranced by the steam billowing upward and dissipating as it brushed the ceiling, and by the lazy movements of the Scout's silhouette as he washed himself behind the light red curtain.

"AUGH! I can STILL feel his hands on me!" The Spy managed to hear, snapping out of his trance.

"Ah...so you _have_ encounter that BLU Spy."

A low growl was his response. Spy suspected the Scout was irritated from him following the boy into the room. Scout should really learn to close the door.

"Yeah, and ya should have expected that too. Some spy you are," Hissed the Scout. The crab shrugged. "He was gonna molest me!"

The Spycrab's eyes widened. "What?"

"Well...maybe not..._totally _molest me, but I bet if he had the opportunity to, he probably would've." Scout admitted.

A silent sigh of relief. "It's still good to know that you are safe."

"He's gonna kill me out there on the field, I know it, man!" The water shut off and the Scout's hand slinked out and groped around for a towel. Once he found one, his arm retreated back behind the curtain again with the towel in his grasp. " Ma always told me never to piss off a trained professional. Which...probably explains why she wears a wig now."

"Threw a rock through her hair dresser's window, did you?"

"NO!...it was a baseball." Scout admitted. Eventually, he pulled back the curtains and stepped out with a towel tied around his hips.

"Feeling better now?"

"Yeah," Scout nodded slowly. "Uh...thanks."

The cursed Spy tilted his body slightly, looking a bit confused. "Whatever for?"

"I dunno...just fer listening," Scout opened the door and stepped into his room. "Yer really good at that."

"My pleasure."

The Spycrab scuttled after the boy. Unfortunately, the Scout pulled off his towel and purposely tossed it on top of the crab. Scout chuckled when he heard the Spycrab let out a few loud curses in French as he struggled to get out from the towel. It gave him a chance to change into some fresh clothes without the worry of being watched by a peeping crab. Or by any of his teammates.

After a while, the Spycrab emerged from underneath the damp towel. He was tempted to demand why Scout had done that but he changed to his mind. His battle with the towel has left him out of breath and the Scout looked just as tired; There was really no use in starting an argument now. The blue crab looked up at the Bostonian, who was sitting on the edge of his bed and slipping on a fresh pair of shoes.

"How's yer claw doin'?" He asked.

The former Frenchman slowly lifted his injured claw, looking at the Band-Aid that was now loosing its adhesive stick and beginning to curl at the edges. The wound occasionally still throbbed with pain, but the cold air helped ease it somewhat.

"It is fine." The Spycrab smiled very lightly.

"Yeah. Sorry I couldn't do more for it, I don't know much 'bout medical shit," Scout admitted. "I would've brought you to the Medic, but... well, you saw how he reacted when he first saw ya."

The crab sneered. "Oui, I remember that..._very_...fondly." He could almost hear the Medic's high pitched shriek echo in his head, followed by the painful memory of being trapped under that bucket for the longest time.

Scout looked at him suddenly, which made the Spycrab flinch slightly, caught off guard by the Bostonian's quick movements.

"Can...I ask you somethin'?" asked Scout.

"Yes?"

"Can you...tell me about...y'know...the secret to fighting Spies?"

"Pardon?" He looked slightly offended by the question.

"I know you want to get even with that dick; I saw that look in your eyes when you heard what he did to the BLU Scout," Scout explained. "Since you can't fight, I can do the fighting for you."

The Spycrab sneered slightly, turning away quickly. Scout leaned down and poked him on the head.

"Hey, I know you don't like how that guy is treatin' yer friend," He continued. "And he's pretty nuts as well..."

The crab peered at the boy from the corner of his eyes. Swatting away the finger with his claw with an annoyed grunt.

Scout let out a sigh and rested his chin on the edge of the bed. "I have a feelin' he's gonna get even more serious if we don't do somethin'. I wanna survive on the field, an' I don't want things to return to the way there were at 2Fort with THIS Spy. Honestly, I'd rather have_ you_ stalk me than _that _guy..."

The Spycrab finally looked at him, his eyes large and glassy. He blinked a few times to regain his composure.

"Well...I suppose I can tell a few things...at least to keep you alive on the field..." sighed the Spycrab. "...seeing how I have to stay inside, due to the cold."

"You mean it?" Scout replied happily.

The crab stared him dead in the eyes. "But you must understand something, Scout, that was a** very **dangerous question you asked me. Had you asked this to any other Spy, you would be dead now!" The smile on the Scout faded away. "The secrets of a spy are sacred, I won't tell you everything, only enough to keep you safe from that man."

"So...if they're meant to stay secret...why are you telling me them? I-I mean if you're uncomfortable with tellin' me just say so. I won't push the matter or anything!" Scout said.

"I feel I owe it to you..." The Spycrab admitted, almost whispering it.

"Why?"

There was a slight pause, the Spycrab practically he burrowed his round body into the carpet fibers, tucking his claws close and practically hiding behind his own oversized claws. He peered up at the scout meekly. "Because…" He stuttered a bit, trying to find the right words." Because...you make me...feel human, Scout. That is why."

The Scout blinked. He didn't exactly understand what the Spy meant. It must have been a good thing, since the Spy seemed a bit shy to admit it. The Spycrab seemed too ashamed to look at the Scout again. He just hid his face behind his large claws and shut his eyes tightly, mumbling to himself incomprehensibly in French. Scout was almost convinced it was a bad thing, but at the same time, it felt like a positive compliment. Or was it?

"Oh...," Scout said, before it became awkwardly quiet again. "Uh...yer welcome...I think."

* * *

_A huge amount of thanks to my two Beta-Readers, art1st4786 and lyre-19 (AKA Deserthaze), for helping me out with this particular chapter. _

_Many thanks you two. :D_


	20. Letter to Red

**Chapter 20** - _Letter to Red (Part 1)_

The Spycrab rested himself on the Scout's desk, finding it to be the safest place in the Scout's room. Keeping him protected from the possibility of being stepped on by the other REDs, who occasionally burst in unannounced. Or even from being crushed from the Scout himself when he would return from a battle and just flop down on his bed...while the Spycrab would rest there as well. While on the desk, he was safe.

The Scout had yet to unpack, his room remained cluttered with boxes. Judging by the state of the Scout's workspace back in 2fort, it probably would not be long before the risk of paper avalanches would make the desk too hazardous for the Spycrab to traverse. He had himself wrapped in the BLU Scout's scarf, although he honestly preferred the RED Scout's scarf due to the fact that particular scarf still had the Bostonian's scent on it. He didn't want to hurt the BLU Scout's feelings, so he chose to bundle up with it to keep warm while Scout was away.

A massive snowstorm had canceled the battle for the day, but apparently a blizzard wasn't enough to stop the postal system from delivering letters from home to the mercenaries of RED. The Spy suspected BLU also received their mail as well. If he had a hat, he would politely tip it to the brave mail carriers who fought their way through the bitter winds and snow to deliver letters, packages and (most likely) nudie magazines to the ungrateful RED team.

He could hear the men chattering wildly from the living room, or kitchen - there was more room there. Several cheers as well as laughter was heard. The Spy suspected either someone's wife/girlfriend/friend or mother sent treats to one of the members. He remembered when the BLU Scout's mother sent the Scout a box of homemade cookies, the boy was more than eager to share with him when the Scout saw that he had received nothing. Always the thoughtful one, that BLU Scout.

The faint sound of fast paced footsteps quickly growing louder caused the Spycrab to look up, bracing himself slightly. The door flew open and, as expected, the Scout giggling like a child on Christmas morning as he stumbled clumsily into the room. He almost lost his balance, but managed to straighten up as he kicked the door closed and turned to the Spycrab eagerly.

"It's here!" The Scout announced proudly as he held up a small package in his hand: a simple clear box that held a stack of paper inside. "All the way from Australia, flown first class to the Administrator herself, authorized by 'da head honcho of RED, shipped all the way out to Coldfront and delivered to me in less than two days! Total cost-" He slammed the box triumphantly in front of the crab. "$500!"

The Spycrab's eyes slowly widened as he scowled at the box. There was really nothing special about the stationary inside. Just simple white paper with the RED logo in the upper right corner. What a good waste of money.

" You spent...$500 on stationary?" He asked, skeptically.

"What's 'stationary'?" Scout asked. A slight pause.

"Fancy paper."

"Oh...I knew that."

The Spycrab slowly shuffled around the box, before turning to the Scout.

"You...plan to write to someone?"

"Yeah! I though I'd write to that other RED Spy we met at the Train Station," Scout smiled proudly. "He seemed like a smart guy, maybe he can give us a little help wit' yer situation."

"I see." The Scout raised an eyebrow to the Spycrab's sour attitude.

"Uh...are you...jealous?" He asked.

"Non! Of course not! Why would I _possibly_ be jealous?" Replied the Spycrab, quickly.

"Man, you _are_ jealous." The Scout shook his head with an amused grin as he sat down and scooted his chair up to the desk. The Spycrab scoffed.

"What is to be jealous about? He is just a man." He pouted slightly, turning away from the Scout as the runner took out several sheets of paper from the box. "You talk as if the man is the President of the world ...or - oh what is it that young Americans are into these days- ...Superman."

"I bet he can kill Superman ...with **words**!" The Scout chuckled as he looked around the desk for a pen or pencil. Unable to find one, he stood up and walked over to several of the boxes containing his possessions and began rummaging through them.

Again, the Spycrab huffed. He wouldn't admit that he was jealous of the Scout's sudden hero-worship towards Red. It could be because he was so used to having the Scout's full attention. He finally looked over at the Scout when the young man started mumbling to himself with confused questions to himself as he pulled out several miscellaneous objects and tossed them over his shoulder.

"This is why your room is always a mess!" groaned the Spycrab. Scout looked at him over his shoulder.

"Where is it?" He asked.

"Where is what?"

"Tha-That box of cigarettes you made me get fer you. Didn't you pack 'em?" The Spycrab shook his head (his whole body actually).

"I threw them away."

"What? Y'mean, I risked my neck gettin' them for nothing?"

"I can live without them. It was wrong for me to send you out to get them in the first place." The Spycrab explained firmly. The Scout blinked. "You were right; I was acting selfish."

"Heh. When have I heard that before?" He found a few pencils and pens finally. Scout returned to his desk, looking down almost challengingly at a clean piece of paper. "So, you wanna help me?"

"I suppose." nodded the crab.

After a few attempts to write something, but never getting even one word down, the Scout idly tapped the cap of his pen against his chin as he thought hard towards the letter he was going to write. His eyes eventually strayed over towards the Spycrab again, silently begging for help.

"Begin with a proper greeting," advised the Spycrab.

"Is that all?" The Scout laughed as he leaned over his paper again. Another pause to think, before he finally wrote on the paper. After a few words, he set down his pen and sat up straight, looking down proudly at his work. The Spycrab glanced at the paper and frowned almost immediately.

"'Dear, super cool RED guy'?" He read, looking at the Scout skeptically.

"What? He is cool!" The Spycrab scoffed.

"You misspelled 'Dear', it's spelled D-E-A-R, not D-E-E-R," He added. "Didn't you learn anything in school?"

"Well that's kinda why yer up here in 'da first place," Scout shrugged. "I'm gonna write out my letter to that other RED Spy, an' you can spell check it for me."

"I have no say in this...do I?"

Scout grinned slyly. "Nope."

"Fine."

Scout picked up his pen again and leaned over his paper, taking a moment to think before he began writing again.

_Deer Super cool RED Guy,  
Yer nevah gonna belleev whut happened twoday..._

_

* * *

_  
-_Days Earlier_-

"Prepare to capture _all_ control points. MOVE!"

That was all it took to kill the silence that loomed between the two buildings on the Coldfront. Each Soldier from each side bellowed their war cry before leaping out heroically with either their shovel or rocket launcher in hand, looking for their first victim to strike down. The other classes followed close behind. Surprisingly, the RED Scout was the last one to run onto the field. It was all part of his plan though.

For the past three days, Scout kept himself hidden; actually, he stayed pretty close to the Engineer, partially to apologize for ditching him when the new BLU Spy showed up, and also to take advantage of the level 3 sentry's protection as they desperately fought off the BLUs aiming to capture one of their points. The Engineer forgave the Scout for running off, but the Scout couldn't help but notice how sluggish the Texan had become lately. At first he thought it was because of the weather, but he soon noticed the man just slumping his shoulders and letting out heavy sighs as he struggled to build and upgrade his gadgets. The runner tried talking to the Engineer about it, but he denied being angry or upset. Instead, he insisted that the new BLU Spy sapped his favorite Teleporter and he was just mourning his own loss. In the end, the Scout believed the Engineer's story. What other reason could there be?

Two losses and one win, but it was all going to be worth it. The Spycrab agreed to help the Scout keep the new BLU Spy from getting the upper hand on him. All he asked for was the Scout's patience. Since the young Bostonian was low on that, the Spycrab had to be patient with the Scout's impatience.

_"Three days, that's all you need."_

_"What do I do during those three days?"_

_"Observe your Teammates and the BLUs. Take notes of their strategies and their actions on the field. This will help you tell friend from foe."_

_"Y'mean the BLU Spy, right?"_

_"Correct."_

The Scout remembered having to do this when the Spycrab was still human. Seemed like forever ago though. Even most of his hate for the Spy had faded away, although it would return every now and then when the Spycrab said something that he didn't agree with at all. It was an interesting twist, in the Scout's eyes, having to work with someone he used to hate to foil another Spy's attempts to take his place. He was lucky he hadn't run into said Spy during those three days of...well...scouting.

The others weren't so lucky. When the fight was over for the day, he would overhear the Engineer grumbling about how everyone of his gadgets were sabotaged by the Spy, followed closely by the Sniper and Spy emerging from respawn, each utterly baffled and claiming they never saw him coming till it was too late. And, although he was never killed, the Demoman was practically possessed with rage as he held up his broken bottle of scrumpy and said the BLU Spy shot his bottle and ran off. The Scotsman then broke down in tears when he announced he hadn't drank a single drop of alcohol all day. Scout couldn't help but ask "Miss the old Spy?" as he nonchalantly ate his dinner.

To which the answer was always. "Do you even have to ask?" Aside from the Medic who would remind the Scout not to talk with his mouth full with a very strict tone. Scout was pleased to see how it made the Spycrab smile when he told him this.

Aside from hiding every now and then, Scout would eventually run across the field to several hiding spots the Sniper used from time to time. It didn't help to ask the sharpshooter what he noticed about several of the BLUs he shot. At first the Sniper would look at him suspiciously, but let out a sigh of relief when the Scout assured him he wasn't the BLU Spy in a special way, mostly by batting the man on the head with the tip of his metal bat and yelling at him for even thinking he was the Spy. That was all the Sniper needed to know to believe him. He admitted, though, that he was surprised to see the Scout acting like himself again. Of course, the conversation ended as quickly as it started when the Scout realized the Sniper just wanted to chat and not help him out and immediately ran off.

It wasn't a total loss. By the third day, the Scout felt he had a good idea on his own teammates as well as the BLUs. Hopefully it would be enough to keep him on his feet if the new Spy chose to attack. Most likely; a guy obsessed with finding the old Spy's weaknesses can't keep himself hidden forever, right?

_" Just knowing everyone's strategy isn't enough."_

_"You freakin' kiddin' me?"_

_"You have to be aware of your surroundings as well. That Spy could appear as anyone, or anything. Not to mention he could appear at any time at any direction."_

_"Even above me? What, can he fly or somethin'?"_

_"For you, you have to be aware of your four senses: Sight, Sound, Smell and Tou...ok, maybe just three of your four senses."_

_"I'm listenin'."_

_"That man, does he smoke?"_

_"Yeah. He blew some of that cancer smoke in my face!"_

_"Use that to your advantage. If he's an excessive smoker, you can smell him. The snow has blanketed down the various scents out there. It'll also help you with sound. You can hear him sneaking up on you with the snow as well. As far as sight goes, that I cannot help you with, but the other two can help you."_

The Scout jumped slightly at how the snow crackled slightly with each step he took. "I can't believe something I hate is gonna help save my ass out here." he muttered to himself, nodding his head slightly. He understood now how he was going to use the snow around Coldfront to keep himself aware of his surroundings. Too bad he didn't have anything to work with back at 2Fort that could've helped when the Spycrab was still human. Oh well.

With a small grin the Scout finally moved, dashing across the field, making his way towards the first point. Several bullet flew over his head, followed by screams of pain from one of his teammates. One being from the RED Spy, the other, he suspected, from the Pyro. Good. No one was aiming for him. Yet. He picked up the pace a bit, wanting to get to the first point as quickly as possible. Movement to his left caught his attention. He quickly jerked his head in that direction, spotting the BLU running towards him. It would've been easy to outrun him, but Scout knew if he ran, he could easily be shot down with a well aimed rocket. Not wanting to get sent to Respawn, he took out his scattergun and shot a couple rounds at the screaming man. Scout cringed when he saw he only managed to hit the BLU Soldier once, and that didn't slow him down either.

"CRAP!"

The BLU Soldier swung at the Bostonian with his shovel, Scout managed to jump out of the way, only knowing he enraged the large man - which was evident by his equally enraged snarl. Scout fired at the BLU Soldier again when the man took another swing at him.

"AH to hell with this!" The BLU Soldier growled, tossing his shovel over his shoulder and pulling out his shot gun, grinning quite evilly as he took aim at the Scout.

Scout's eyes widened and continued to dodge the man's bullets as he shot at him. Whenever there was an opening, Scout would fire back, although he didn't always hit the Soldier. All in all, he only managed to hit the BLU Soldier three times.

"AUGH!" Scout cried out when a bullet grazed his shoulder. He fell backwards and landed in the snow, clutching his wound in pain. "JEEZE!"

The BLU Soldier loomed over him. Scout could only glare up at him. "You cannot run from me, my gun is faster." He grinned, feeling pretty good about finally getting the RED Scout.

"We have captured the center control point!" The Announcer's voice boomed over the field. Causing both the BLU Soldier and Scout too look around.

"Is that fer your side, or mine?" Asked the Scout, directing the question towards the BLU Soldier. His free hand was slowly moving for his pistol.

The American lowered his shotgun and scratched the side of his helmet, looking utterly confused. "Y'know, I haven't the slightest ide - waitaminute! Why am I tellin' _you_ this?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Scout pretended to be clueless before pulling out his pistol and shooting the BLU Soldier in the face.

Scout bit his lower lip slightly as he watched the BLU Soldier stumbled back a few inches before falling onto his back, dead.

The runner let out a relieved sigh as he picked himself off the ground, letting out a slight hiss as he clung to his shoulder again.

"MEDIC!" He called out.

"I am right here, Scout." The Medic responded, not too far away from there the Scout stood.

"It is good day to be Giant Man!" The Heavy chuckled as he ran past the Scout, his mini-gun in hand.

"Where the hell were you two, like, three seconds ago?" snapped the Scout, letting out another groan of pain. "Doc, you need to heal me!"

"Vhat are zhe magic vords?" The Medic replied, aiming his Medigun at the Scout, but not activating it.

"NOW, DOC!"

The Medic winced a bit, but reluctantly complied with the Scout's wishes. Thinking that if he didn't, the boy would start panicking. The Scout let out a light sigh as the light red mist trailed from the Medic's Medigun over to him. Slowly the wound on his shoulder faded.

"Alright, I feel good," The Scout smiled as he did some quick arm stretches to see if the medicine had healed everything. "Thanks, Doc!"

"Vell, it's good to know zhey hadn't killed your manners." The Medic replied sarcastically as he ran after the Heavy before loosing sight of the man.

Scout followed after him, figuring the Heavy was heading towards another capture point. "Hey, were we the ones who captured that point earlier?"

"Ja! I saw zhe Spy und Soldier on zhe point." explained the doctor.

"Sweet, two more to go!" The Scout let out a silent gasp and he came to sudden stop, his eyes slightly widened.

The Medic stopped as well, turning towards the Scout with a confused look.  
"Are you coming, herr Scout?" asked the German. "Ve could use your help with zhe next point."

"Uh..." He remembered something the Spycrab had told him earlier.

_"I know it may be difficult, but try to avoid the 'buddy system'. I know you are in danger when you are by yourself, but anyone can be an enemy."_

The Medic blinked, noticing the Scout's equally confused look. They both jumped when a stray bullet shot into the ground near them. Scout followed the direction the bullet was shot from, spotting the BLU Sniper perched on the high cliff.

Scout turned to the Medic. "I'll take care of that guy, just keep Fatty out of trouble!" He said before tuning to run off.

"Vait!" The Medic tried to stop the Scout, but the runner was already out of earshot. "Ugh! Vhy does zhat man never listen to me?"

A low voice whispered into his ear. "Could be because you're a terrible doctor."

Quickly, the Medic spun around, his bonesaw in hand. To his dismay, nobody was there, only a clear view of his teammates in the distance fighting other BLUs and his arm stretched out awkwardly from his attempted attack. Thinking he was just hearing things, the Medic tried to run off to catch up with the Heavy, but found himself forced back by the BLU Sniper, who had fired little warning shots near the Medic's feet. Was this a trap?

Without much of an option, the Medic inhaled to let out a call for help. He was only able to let out one call for assistance before a hand clamped over his mouth. The German let out an alarmed yelp, muffled by the hand, as he was pulled back against a skinnier body. All it took was the smell from a burning cigarette to tell the Medic that this was the BLU Spy.

"Bonjour~" The BLU Spy purred into the Medic's ear, sending a terrified shiver down the RED doctor's spine.

The Medic didn't have time to fight back. The BLU Spy already had his knife in hand, pulling back his hand before driving the blade into the side of the doctor's neck. He grinned widely at the sound of the Medic's muffled scream. The BLU Spy pulled the blade out, only to jam it into the Medic neck again, slowly twisting the knife in the bloody flesh before repeating his action again. The Spy frowned as the Medic slipped from his hold and fell to the snow covered ground, dead.

With an annoyed sigh, the BLU Spy brought his knife up to his mouth, slowly running the flat side of the blade across his tongue and spitting the blood - now mixed with his saliva - on the back of the RED Medic's corpse.

"You got blood on my suit." He said disdainfully, trailing his eyes down onto the blood that got onto the blue material. That was going to be one ugly dry cleaning bill.

The BLU Spy looked up at the BLU Sniper, quickly waving a 'thanks' before taking out his disguise kit and choosing to disguise himself as the Medic he had just killed. The BLU Sniper smiled and waved back, watching the man run off, most likely going after the Heavy next. Once the BLU Spy was gone, the BLU Sniper's smile faded away as he let out a groan and looked at the RED Medic's body through the scope on his rifle.

"I don' care if that man was a RED...that was just...so unnecessary." He muttered to himself.

With a heavy sigh, the Sniper removed his glasses to rub between his eyes, a bit stressed out from the sudden weather change and having to deal with the new BLU Spy. The team barely had time to know the new recruit, but the Sniper knew of the BLU Scout's dislike for the man. Although why the young man did was beyond him. Probably because the BLU Scout never did like change.

The BLU Sniper raised his head, hearing a sound behind him quickly approaching. He jerked around, seeing the RED Scout running up behind him, his metal bat in hand. The Sniper spat several curses as he struggled to reposition himself to face the Scout with his rifle. The RED Scout snarled as he gripped his bat with both hands, pulling it back and swinging with all his might at the enemy Sniper.

"BONK!"

The gunshot echoed. In the end though, only the Sniper was the one who was hit. The Scout had made a sudden jerk to the left to avoid the bullet, pushing himself off the ground and getting in close enough to attack, swinging his metal bat at the Sniper's head, drawing out a loud painful grunt from the BLU assassin as crashed into the rock wall, which made him stagger dizzily before unintentionally stumbling off the edge. Scout kept his ground, only flinching when he heard a loud thud and the Sniper letting out a scream as he fell. He slowly approached the edge, looking over to see the lifeless body of the Sniper.

"Damn," he said. "I'm badass!"

He let out a little satisfied snicker before turning to run back down the hill. Wondering to himself if his teammates were heading towards the next or the final capture point. The one inside the BLU base was going to be a challenge. Perhaps he should capture that one himself to save time. It was almost a pity, though, that the Scout failed to notice the corpse of the RED Medic.

* * *

The Scout looked up from his work, noticing the Spycrab trying to grab hold of a pencil with his claws. It was annoying hearing the Spy let out little grunts as he would grip onto the pencil and lift it, only to have it slip out from his grasp and land back onto the desk. Scout would wince every time the pencil fell, causing him to mess up on his penmanship as he wrote.

Finally, after the fifteenth attempt the Spycrab made on the pencil, the Scout grabbed the pencil himself. He gripped both ends with his hands and snapping it in half, tossing the end with the eraser over his shoulder as he placed the other end in front of the crab.

"Better?" He growled.

The Spycrab blinked, before turning his attention to the broken pencil in front of him. Carefully, he gripped onto the pencil with his claw, tightening his grip until his pincers dug into the soft wood. He smiled very faintly as he managed to hold the pencil and pick it up without any trouble.

"Thank you." The Spycrab replied simply.

"You plan on doin' something with that pencil? Gonna write somethin' too?" asked the Scout, just needing a bit of a break from writing himself. The crab looked at the smaller half of the pencil he now held.

"I was just trying to see if I was even capable of writing in this form," He answered truthfully as the Scout slid a blank piece of paper in front of him. "Tired?"

"Nah, just takin' a break," Scout said, resting his head on the desk. "M' hand hurts."

"I'm not surprised," The crab sighed as he adjusted his grip on the pencil, using both claws to hold it now, and started writing on the paper the best he could. "You mostly focus on handling your weapons with such a tense focus. Having to switch to a much gentler grip must have put a strain on your hand."

Scout frowned, pursing his lips a bit.

"Shut up." The Spycrab chuckled.

"Want me to kiss it to make it better?"

"Don't you **DARE**!" snarled the Scout. The Spycrab paused from his writing and looked towards the Scout with an unimpressed expression.

"You do know I am joking, oui?"

"You sure don't sound like yer joking." Scout replied, still appearing a bit ticked.

"And that is why I love teasing you." The crab laugh quietly as he returned to his task.

"Well...stop it!" Scout said, sternly.

"I most certainly will not," Spy retorted, using the same tone as the Scout. "It is what keeps me from going insane from boredom."

"Yer exaggerating."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, boy. Anyway..." The Spycrab set down his pencil and pushed his sheet of paper to the Scout. "...can you read this?"

The Scout sat up, readjusting himself in his seat before picking up the paper. He immediately flinched, sneering at the paper. "What the? W-what the hell is this crap?"

"Oh...it seems I cannot write after all..." sighed the crab.

"Is this even English!" The Scout help up the paper, showing the Spy his short sentence written in very sloppy cursive. It was legible, but clearly not to the Scout. The Spycrab raised a curious eyebrow (if crab have eyebrows that is).

"You cannot read cursive?"

"Cursive? **This** is cursive?" Scout looked at the paper again. "Looks more like chicken scratch."

"I take it you are better with cursive than me?" challenged the Spycrab.

"You got that right!"

"Prove it then."

"Fine! I will!"

The Scout set his letter aside before taking out a clean sheet of paper and loomed over it, practically touching the paper with the tip of his nose as he wrote on it. Sighing, the Spycrab sat down on the desk, pulling the BLU Scout's scarf over him as he watched the Scout work diligently on whatever he was writing. He didn't even know the Scout was even capable of writing in cursive. Then again, schools had been making it a mandatory thing to practice cursive for professional signatures in the future. Spy was willing to admit that the Scout often impressed him..._sometimes_.

"There!" The Scout set down his pen and held up his work with a satisfied grin.

The Spycrab remained silent, looking at the paper with slightly wide eyes. Instead of writing a sentence down in cursive, the Scout had instead drawn a rather poor doodle of the Spycrab. A bit cartoony; Just a big oval with little dots for eyes and a tiny smile. Complete with the outline over the eyes and mouth indicated the peach colored patches on the crab's face. The claws were drawn above the crab's head, connected to the body with a simple line. The same simple lines were also used for the feet. Above the doodle was a little speech bubble, which had the word "hi" written inside.

"Uh..." The Spy didn't know how to react, he wasn't sure if he should be honored, touched or insulted. He liked it though. "I..." Quickly he cleared his throat. " I thought you were writing in cursive."

"Yeah, but I got bored...so I drew you," Scout shrugged. "It's awesome, right?"

"That can't possibly be me...I'm not that cute," The Spy looked down shyly. "I'm ugly, remember?"

"Hey, don't say that about yourself, alright?" The Scout set the picture aside and brought back his letter. "Yer not ugly."

"But...you said-"

"I was angry. We always say things we don't mean. You should know that." Scout nodded.

"I suppose."

"'sides, compared to most crabs...I dunno...yer probably the only good lookin' crab out there." He looked away slightly before clearing his throat and returning his attention to his letter. "I wouldn't know, 'cuz I don't hang out with crabs." The Spy smiled, nuzzling a little deeper into the scarf.

"Thank you, Scout." Scout's eyes looked up before immediately turning back down towards his letter.

"Keep yer mouth shut. I gotta focus on this."

* * *

"CHARGE!"

The battle cry from the RED Soldier startled Scout, almost firing a few rounds into his teammate at the man ran past him. The runner let out a silent relieved sigh as he watched the RED Spy (who cloaked seconds later) and Demoman follow after the Soldier, immediately opening fire on a few idling BLUs.

Scout figured the Soldier was heading for the second control point. That was a good thing, he figured; while the Soldier and his squad captured one point, he can capture the last point inside the BLUs base. Maybe he wasn't going to run into that new Spy today after all. Probably for the best; he didn't want any of that cigarette smoke puffed in his face again - or be molested for that matter.

Slowly, the Scout emerged from his hiding spot. Having to take cover after taking down the BLU Sniper to hide from some vengeful BLUs. Once the heat - due to the fact it was the BLU Pyro leading the group - died down, he was off, running across the snow as fast as his feet would take him, jumping and dodging when he was fired at and returning fire every now and then just to get a higher kill count to avoid looking lazy. He had to make up for those three days.

"Leetle Scout!"

Scout skidded across the ground a bit as he attempted to come to a full stop, the snow made that difficult. The Heavy was waving frantically to get his attention from the doorway that lead into the BLU base. How convenient. Without saying a word, the young mercenary ran over to the Heavy, curious as too why the Heavy needed to talk to him.

"Is Medic not with you?" Was the first thing the Heavy asked.

"Wasn't he with you?" replied Scout. "He's always with you, like, all the time."

"Nyet. I ran off, thought Medic was behind me, but when I turned to crush leetle babies, Medic was not there." Heavy explained frantically.

"Calm down, man, I'm sure he's somewhere 'round here." Scout said, hoping to calm the large man down.

The Heavy suddenly grabbed the Scout's small arm with his two large hands. "I do not like being alone, tiny Scout," He sniffed. His expression got serious though when he added. "Is very uncomfortable."

"Yeah, an' having you clinging to me is **just** as uncomfortable." said Scout, very harshly with an annoyed tone.

"Oh!" Heavy released Scout's arm. "Very sorry I am."

"Look, I'm sure the Medic will show up - he always does. It's his job to do that." Scout rubbed his arm where the Heavy had grabbed him. The Heavy picked up his minigun with a loud grunt.

"Can leetle Scout assist me till then?" The Scout opened his mouth to say 'no', but the Heavy already positioned himself to storm into the base. "Very good!" He let out a loud laugh. "Leetle Scout can scout ahead for dangers that can't be handled by me!"

"Wait, y'mean I have to act as a shield for you?" Scout cringed slightly as the Heavy pushed him ahead.

"Tiny Scout is fast, can outrun bullets, no?"

"Oh right..." The Bostonian bit his lower lip nervously. "...I said that...didn't I?"

There was no point in arguing with the Heavy, even if he did talk his out of it, he knew the Heavy would start to question the Scout's bragging, possibly even stretching it into a rumor. Would the Heavy even do that though? Well, since the Russian believes the Scout can outrun bullets, to prove him wrong would send the man into a crying frenzy. Yep. Scout would be screwed for running away.

"Okay, fine, I'll help, just..." He looked down the hallway. "Just don't fall behind, alright?"

"Da!" Heavy replied eagerly, grinning down at his gun. "Understood!"

With a few quick breaths, Scout ran into the base, hearing the slow but heavy footsteps of the Russian behind him. This was another first for Scout: having to work with the Heavy. Sure, it was temporary, but the Medic hadn't disappeared before while they were stationed at 2fort. Honestly, Scout didn't like it; he was used to working alone...and keeping an eye out for the Spy.

The inside of the BLU base was suspiciously quiet - even the footsteps of the Scout and Heavy seemed to echo throughout the empty hallways. It was spooky. Were the BLUs planning something, or were they all focused on attacking RED to get even for the loss of their old Spy? Scout let out a huff as he slowed down to allow the Heavy to catch up, his eyes darting around to catch movement of any kind. Nothing. This was too uncomfortably easy.

"Whoa." He rounded the corner of the hallway, but quickly retreated back. Finally spotting a couple BLUs positioned in the garage, a Demoman and Engineer.

"Why leetle Scout stop?"

"Shh!" Scout help up his hand to silence the Heavy. He lowered his own voice into a whisper. "Shit, two defense classes." Scout poked his head around the corner, making sure to get spotted as he looked around from where he stood. "Looks like they haven't set up a sentry, but they got a few of those damn sticky bombs around." Heavy narrowed his eyes at the Scout.

"Is Scout Spy?" He asked suddenly. The Scout slowly turned his head and glared at the Heavy.

"What did you freakin' call me?" he demanded. Heavy let out a soft chuckle.

"Good." He nodded. "Scout is not Spy. Scout did not sound like Scout for second. Sounded almost like Spy."

"Y'serious?" Scout touched his neck where the Spycrab often nuzzled up against him.

"Has puny sentry been built?"

Scout shook his head, still a bit confused and disturbed. He failed to notice the Heavy letting out a loud battle cry and running into the room with his gun firing bullets like there was no tomorrow.

"Shit...did I really sound like the Spy?" Scout asked himself, ignoring the painful cries from the BLU Engineer and Demoman.

For the past three days, the Scout had been relying on the advice the Spycrab had been giving him, so, naturally, he had to act a bit out of character for his class. Instead of taking risks like he usually did, he slowed down, like he never did, and paid attention to his surroundings. Like a Spy. Scout growled as he leaned against the wall and slid down till he was sitting. No wonder the Sniper and Heavy questioned if he was a Spy. He was acting like one. Scout was going to have to pay attention to himself to avoid an eventually 'Spy Check' from the Pyro.

"AAAAAAUGGHH!"

Scout turned slightly, although not really caring, just in time to see the BLU Engineer crawling on his stomach to escape from the Heavy.

"Somebody help me!" he cried.

"Oh no you don't!" The Heavy laughed evilly, grabbing the Engineer's foot and dragging him back into the room.

"NOOOOOOO!" The Engineer tried digging his fingers into the floor, but only left deep engraved scratches on the floor as he was pulled back out of view of the Scout. "Have mercy!"

The runner only stared into blank space as the death scream of the BLU Engineer echoed through the hallway, accompanied by the Heavy's loud laughter. Eventually, the large man returned to the Scout, covered in blood with a satisfied grin on his face. Scout took out his metal bat and used it to push himself off the floor.

Reluctantly, the Scout looked into the room, widening his eyes when he saw the floor littered with blood and a few body parts from the BLU Demoman and Engineer. "Oh my god," He slowly turned to the Heavy, smiling nervously. "Did, uh, did you enjoy yerself?"

"It was good for me." Giggled the Heavy.

"Alright, tough guy, save it for the last point," Scout cringed slightly at Heavy's enthusiasm. He walked into the room and paused, looking at the point that remained untouched. "What gives? I thought Soldier was goin' for this!"

"Nyet! Soldier was going for final point." Heavy said, waddling up to the capture point.

"Un-freakin'-believable!" The Bostonian spat. "I was goin' for that friggin' point! What gives him the right to claim it?"

"Soldier is born leader," Heavy explained, waiting for the Scout on the platform. "And what Soldier says, goes! And Soldier wants to capture last point!"

Scout let out a childish pout, mumbling to himself as he stood next to the Heavy on the point to claim as their own. It didn't take long for the platform to cease glowing blue, switching to an appropriate red glow instead. Accompanied with switched the BLU symbol to the RED company's logo instead.

"Success! We have captured the control point!" The Announcer's voice rung out.

"Come, leetle Scout!" The Heavy was already heading deeper into the base. "We help Soldier with final point!"

Scout couldn't help but shake his head as he followed after the man, he was slightly impressed with the Heavy's stamina, but at the same time annoyed by it. Maybe this is why he preferred working by himself: nobody to slow him down, annoy him and best of all, nobody to accuse him of being a Spy.


	21. Letter to Red II

_Note to self: Try to keep chapters short, but not too short. ^^;_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 21** - _Letter to Red (Part 2)_

The rest of the BLU base was just as quiet at the garage near the entrance. Scout couldn't help but feel uneasy as he followed behind the Heavy. Surely loosing their second point would've attracted the rest of the BLUs on the field, right? But no. The farther Scout and Heavy came to the final point, the silence of the base remained. Scout figured one of two possibilities could happen: A trap stationed at the final point or the BLUs were just too lazy to focus of proper defense.

"Please let it be laziness." Scout whispered nervously to himself.

"Is leetle Scout still mad?" Heavy asked.

Scout didn't reply, occasionally he peeked over his shoulder to make sure nobody was coming after them. Nothing. That was a good sign. Maybe.

"I did not mean to hurt feelings," continued the Heavy, slowing down slightly to apologize to the scout. "Scout was acting strange, and Medic advised me to assume Spy."

"I don't like being compared to that bastard, ok?" Scout finally said. Although, he wasn't sure if his anger was against the new Spy or the Spycrab.

"Was not comparing," replied the Heavy calmly, keeping the pace with his running. "I know, mean Spy was mean to you but-"

"Now isn't the time for this, man!" Scout finally sped up, running past the Russian and down the hallway. "Lets just get this job over and done with!"

Trying his hardest to keep up, the Heavy quickened his own pace- although not by much - to follow after the Scout. He couldn't help but grin, seeming to know that the Scout was getting better, slightly. Although, Heavy felt the Medic was right when he said the Scout was still a brat a times. Which the Scout was, but the Heavy preferred it that way.

The two RED mercenaries refrained from talking as they continued their way through the base. The Scout leading the way, keeping a sharp eye out for any BLUs that could possibly be ahead. Still no signs of life. Aside from himself and the Heavy. They stopped, suddenly, hearing the Announcer's voice faintly broadcast that the RED team had just lost a point.

"We gotta hurry." Scout said dryly, facing forward again and continued running.

It didn't take long for them to finally reach the heart of the BLU base. Scout could see the faint glow from the floating logo above the point. Grinning slightly, the Bostonian motioned for the Heavy to hurry up as he ran ahead.

His enthusiasm quickly faded away as he slowed down to a complete stop. The first thing to catch his attention was a large pool of red splattered on the floor. Clearly blood. Slowly, yet very reluctantly, Scout looked up into the large room, seeing a few more splatters of blood. Practically acting as a trail for any REDs entering the room. A large gasp from the Heavy startled him slightly, Scout glared at the Russian for spooking him, but calmed down when he remember they still had a job to do.

The Heavy ran ahead, his gun ready to fire at any unfortunate man (or whatever gender the Pyro is) wearing blue. With a quick glance behind them, the Scout followed after him. If someone was in the room, at least the Heavy could handle him...unless it was the BLU Heavy, then Scout would have to help out.

"Oh noooo!" The Heavy gasped again.

Scout froze, his own eyes slowly widening as he gazed over the middle of the room. The bodies of the Soldier, Demoman and Spy lay in a bloody mess on the floor. Each looked like they were shot multiple time- probably by the same gun due to the size of the wounds-, and slashed at with a melee weapon. Scout eyed the body of the Soldier, the man was face down on the floor with a long trail of blood behind him. It looked like he had crawled across the floor, trying to make it the capture point before finally dying.

"Jeeze..." He whispered. Scout knew they would Respawn, but it was the way they were killed that bothered him. The BLUs have never been this aggressive in the past. Aside from the BLU Spy before he became a crab. However, Scout never saw himself die.

"Medic!" The Heavy said, sounding happily.

Scout turned, seeing the RED Medic kneeling near the body of the Demoman, his gloved fingers on the man's neck. The doctor looked up when the Heavy called out to him, letting out a sigh of relief as he stood up.

"Zhere you are, Heavy!" He said with a smile.

"_Why did it take me this long to notice hi_m_?_" Scout thought to himself, then again, he made it a habit to ignore the Medic when he wasn't needed. Which was most of the time.

"I lost track of you earlier," continued the Medic, addressing the Heavy. "Eventually, I ended up following after zhe Soldier."

"How could this happen? Soldier had Medic!" Heavy asked.

The Medic shrugged. "Ve were... just unprepared."

"How'd you stay alive then?" Scout asked, nodding towards the corpses of their fellow REDs.

"I hid," Admitted the Medic, hanging his head shamefully. "Zhere vere just to many of zhem." He looked over at the corpses. "I...vasn't able to save zhem in time...it vas too late for zhem."

"But this base was empty when we came here."

"Oh..uh..Ja...ja, vhen zhey finished killing our teammates...they agreed on doing a team rush...and ran out zhat way." The Medic pointed to the opposite entryway from where the Scout and Heavy entered.

The Heavy laughed and turned to the Scout. "See Scout? Is nothing to worry about!"

He then turned to the Medic with an eager smile, expecting the Medic to say something witty to the Scout in response. The Medic only looked confused as he took a single step back. The smile immediately faded from the Heavy, looking just as confused.

Taking a finally sympathetic look at his fallen teammates, the Scout finally began to walk towards the capture point.

"So, Vhere haff you been all zhis time?" The Medic asked, looking over his shoulder to the Scout. The runner stopped, letting out an annoyed huff. "I've been looking everywhere for you." His tone was deep.

Scout turned around. "You just saw me, like, 20 seconds ago, Doc." Clearly an exaggeration.

"Da!" confirmed the Heavy. " I was there! Scout had injury to shoulder."

"Oh! You know, it's getting hard for me to remember zhese things," The Medic chuckled, sounding chirper again. "I'm just getting old...so very old." He kept his eyes glued on the Scout the whole time he talked.

The Scout rolled his eyes. The Medic was acting weirder than usual. Probably as a form of defense to keep from crying from all the blood and murder that took place. By now, he figured the Medic would be use to all this.

"So...you gonna help us capture the last point, or what?"

"Hmm? Oh...Ja...zhat vould be mein pleasure."

The Heavy gasped silently, before letting out a low angry growl and quickly punching the Medic in the jaw. Sending the man flying a few feet before skidding across the floor. A nervous whimper escaped from the doctor as he sat himself up, looking at the Heavy with fear and disbelief.

"What the hell, man?" Scout demanded. "He's on our side, remember?"

"That man is not Medic." The Heavy said in a low, angry tone.

Scout blinked as he watched the large man stomp over to the shocked Medic, who tried to scurry away before the Heavy grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and hoisted him up. "What?"

"You-you are mistaken, Heavy!" The Medic stammered, grabbing onto the Heavy's hands and tried desperately to pry them off. "I_am_ the Medic, can't you hear my clearly German accent?"

A narrow eyed glare was the Heavy's response to the Medic's pleas. Even the Scout was getting slightly confused as well. "What the F**k is going on here?" Although Scout ignored.

"You are not Medic," growled the Russian. "Even during most stressful of moments, Medic demands manners from Team. **Especially** from leetle Scout."

The doppelganger inhaled deeply and let out a huff as his panicked expression changed to an irritated look instead. "I see." The Medic's voice was replaced with that of the BLU Spy's.

"Oh my god!" Scout yelled in the background.

"You are smarter zhen you look, Fat Man," continued the Spy, still keeping his appearance as the RED Medic. " 'ow careless of me." He closed his eyes and his disguise faded aware in a puff of blue smoke.

It finally made sense now. The BLU Spy disguised himself as the RED Medic to gain the trust of the Soldier, Demoman and Spy. At some point, he probably dropped his disguise and killed them when their backs were turned. Scout suspected the BLU Spy killed one RED and accused the other of being a Spy to turn the two remaining REDs against each other. Then he would finish off the remaining man, but the looks of it, Scout guessed the Soldier was the last to be killed. Clever. This Spy knew what he was doing.

"What have you done with Medic?" Demanded the Heavy, shaking the Frenchmen in his grasp.

"I think we both know zee question to zhat." The Spy coughed.

The Scout found it hard to look away, he didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure if the Heavy even needed his help, but the Scout still wanted to see what the larger man was going to do. The BLU Spy needed to pay for blowing that cancerous smoke in his face four days ago. And he guessed revenge for killing the Medic, but that really wasn't important. The possibility of loosing his lungs, because of said BLU Spy, yeah, that was the Scout's biggest peeve with the new BLU recruit.

Slight movement caught his attention, the Scout noticed the BLU Spy's arm slowly reaching for his gun. At first, Scout raised his own pistol to shoot, but lowered it when he saw he couldn't get a good aim at him because of the large frame from the Heavy.

"H-Heavy!" Scout called out, sounding slightly panicked.

"Not now, Scout!" Heavy glared at the runner. "Can't you see I am going to crush puny Spy now?"

"Ye-Ye-yeah I know, but-"

"There is **nothing** more important then Spy crushing!"

"But the Spy is-"

Too late. The BLU Spy quickly drew out his gun and placed the tip of the barrel against the temple of the Heavy, not hesitating to pull the trigger with the large man still focused on the RED Scout.

The hand the gripped onto the Spy's expensive suit immediately loosened as the Heavy's eyes rolled back into his head, slowly falling to the ground with a large bullet hole in the side of his head. The Spy only remained in place with a sinister grin on his face as he watched the man fall. Slowly, his eyes darted over to the shocked RED Scout.

"Ah crap."

He cleared his through, attempting to wipe off some of the blood that few onto his suit." Alone as last. Now... where were we? ah, now I remember ," The Spy took a single step towards the Scout. "Where 'ave you been all zhis time? 'ave you been...avoiding me?"

Scout furrowed his brows as he quickly raised his pistol, finally getting a clear shot. The BLU Spy only smiled softly as he quickly jerked to the side, avoiding the bullets the Scout shot at him. Being one step ahead of the Bostonian. He licked his teeth as he cloaked, keeping his eyes locked on the Scout at all time.

"COWARD!" Scout shouted, taking another shot at where the Spy faded away, only to shoot into thin air. He could hear the footsteps of the Spy, although it was slightly garbled due to the room echoing from the gunshots and his outburst. Taking slow and calm breaths, Scout jerked around in random directions, not sure where the BLU Spy might appear. Figuring, if he kept moving, he wouldn't be backstabbed.

"Drop that gun, boy." The Spy's arm uncloaked as he slammed his arm across the Scout's outstretched arms. Causing the RED to drop his pistol to the ground, and he quickly kicked it away.

Scout let out a yelp, followed by an enraged snarl as he quickly recovered and slammed his elbow into the BLU Spy's neck. The Rogue let out a pained wheeze, clutching his neck and took several steps back to catch his breath. Scout couldn't help but smile to himself; The Spycrab had suggested aiming for the neck if the Spy got that close and Scout was surprised to see how effective it was.

Quickly, the Scout took out his metal bat and dashed towards the stunned BLU Spy, pulling back and taking a swing at the man. First hitting him in the shoulder, knocking him to the floor and waited a bit for him to get to his feet before taking another swing at him.

The Spy countered by grabbing the bat with one hand before it could hit him again. Scout's eyes widened, he didn't expect that. A shiver shot up his spine as the BLU Spy glared at him with an animalistic snarl.

" You little **Brat**!"

Without warning, the Spy swung in closer and punched the Scout in the stomach, mimicking the Scout's actions from their first encounter. Grinning wildly as the Scout curled into his arm, coughing and spitting out wads of his own saliva. The Spy pushed the Scout away from him and kicked him to the floor, watching the young RED clutch his stomach with a pathetic whimper.

The Spy breathed heavily as he pulled out his revolver, taking another kick at the Scout to make the runner look at him. Scout did, very reluctantly. It was hard not to show fear when starring straight up the barrel of gun. Of course, the Spy's psychotic grin and unblinking eyes might have been the true reason behind it.

Suddenly, the BLU Spy's breathing hitched, his back arching as the tip of a machete blade pierced through his torso. Scout winced slightly at the blood from the Spy splattered on him. The Spy's body was shaking as he stared down at the blade, slowly turning his head to see who attacked him, only to come face to face with the RED Sniper glaring at him.

"Oh..." The Spy coughed. "I forgot about you..."

The RED Sniper only let out a single huff as he pushed the BLU Spy off his blade, eliciting several smaller coughs from the Rogue before he fell motionless near the Scout.

Scout gaped at the corpse of the BLU Spy. "_Shit, even with the Spy's advice, he still would've killed me._.."

"You alright?" Sniper asked, sounding very concerned.

It took a while for the Scout to finally nod, finally turning to his teammate who held out his hand to help the Runner to his feet.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He said as he grabbed the Sniper's hand and was hoisted up.

There was an awkward pause between the two.

"What? Don' I get a 'thanks' or somethin' for savin' yer hide?" The Aussie chuckled.

Scout was still focused on the BLU Spy. That man was pretty talented as a fighter, although he lacked acting skills. At least he didn't manage to send the Scout to Respawn like he did the other REDs.

He snapped back at attention when he realized the Sniper hadn't released his hand. Quickly, he jerked back his hand.

"Uh..y-yeah..." Scout said, feeling the uncomfortable atmosphere just being there with the Sniper. "Tha-"

A loud bell interrupted the Scout.

" YOU'VE FAILED!" Yelled the Announcer over the intercoms. " THE ENEMY HAS CAPTURED OUR LAST POINT!"

The Scout's jaw drop as he glared at the Sniper, who looked a bit surprised at the announcement.

"WHAT THE HELL, MAN?" Scout roared, punching the Sniper in the arm. "If you had gotten here a lot soon we could've **won**!

The Sniper winced at the punch, flinching again when the Scout raised his arm to throw another punch, only to throw his hands in the air and let out a loud, irritated yell. Grumbling to himself, the Scout picked up his pistol and stored it into his backpack before stomping off to head back to the base. The Sniper only chuckled as he rubbed his arm where the Scout punched him.

"Good to know things are gettin' back to normal." He announced.

"Shut up." hissed the Scout.

* * *

-_Present day_-

"HEY!" Scout pulled his letter away when he saw the Spycrab slowly lean in to peek at it. "Don't read it yet! I'm not done!"

"You've been writing for and hour now," replied the Spycrab. "And you have up to seven pages, what are you telling him?"

"'bout that battle we had a few days ago." Scout said.

"I see," nodded the crab. "Well, why don't you take a break and let me see what you have so far."

Scout narrowed his eyes at the Spycrab.

"I promise I will not laugh." The Spycrab said assuringly , complete with an honest smiled.

Reluctantly, the Scout looked at his handful of paper before slowly handed it to the crab, who grabbed onto the letters with his claws. It was good to know the Spy was getting the hang of his crab body, at least the Scout knew he didn't have to do everything for the Spy. Honestly, though, Scout was more thankful for the fact that the Spycrab never used his claws against him.

"Hmm..." The Spycrab murmured to himself as he looked at the first page, nodding every now and then. "Interesting..."

Without warning, the Spycrab folding all the pages with his claws and ripped them all

in half, tossing them aside as he watched the Scout's eyes widened and stammer out of shock and disbelief.

"Wha-wha-wha...WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" He demanded, slamming his fists on the surface of the desk.

The Spycrab didn't flinch at all. "If you were planning on boring that man into a coma, you were on the right track," He said calmly, waiting for the Scout to calm down before he continued. "I probably should have been more specific: You _don't_ start a letter by telling a person about your dramatic escapades."

The Scout let out a loud, irritated growl as he leaned back in his chair. "I can't freakin' believe this."

With a soft smile, the Spycrab claimed a clean sheet of paper and placed it in front of the Scout, sliding a pencil next to it.

"Lets start from the beginning, shall we?" Scout looked at him. "I'll walk you through it..."

With a sigh, the Scout lazily grabbed the pencil and adjusted himself in his seat. He gazed down at the piece of paper. It was times like this that Scout wished he could make the words magically appear on the paper so he didn't have to write it out himself. Scout flinched slightly when the Spycrab climbed over his arm and sat between his two limbs, overlooking the sheet of paper and giving the Scout an assuring smile. He was not alone on this.

"Alright...," began the Spy. "Begin with addressing the Spy."

Scout began writing.

"Remember, it's spelled D-E-A-R."

"Yeah, I got it." Scout finished. "What next?"

"Now, the greeting. Something like: Hello, how are you? or just reintroduce yourself all together."

"Alright..." Scout thought for a moment and then wrote it down.

The Spycrab watched the pencil carefully, paying attention to how the Scout was spelling out his words and such. Nodding his approval when the Scout finished.

"Very good."

"Now what?"

"Well, you can add your own commentary here. Perhaps, thank him for the advice, or ask how he's doing at 2Fort."

Another pause for the Scout to think. He bit a bit on the pencil to help get the creative juices flowing. Eventually he leaned over the paper again and wrote out a small sentence. The young runner didn't stop though, he continued writing, finally understanding how to write a proper letter. The Spycrab nuzzled against the Scout's free arm, watching him write, occasionally stopping the Scout when he would misspell a word or help him add something more to the letter. It was a relief to see the Bostonian's anger slowly melt away as he came close to finishing his letter to that other RED Spy.

"Done!" Scout announced, slamming his pencil down with a smile.

The Spycrab did a quick scan of the letter.

'_Dear super cool RED Guy,_

_Yo! What's up! Remember me? That Scout with the blue crab? Of course you remember me, who wouldn't? _

_I really wished you could've warned me that it was going to be like the North Pole up here! Seriously! It is FREEZING up here! Then again, I didn't warn you about how hot it gonna get at 2Fort, so, I guess that makes us even._

_Guess what? I finally found out what turned the BLU Spy into a crab. Don't bother sitting down, because you're just gonna stand up when you hear this: The Ghost of Zepheniah Mann._

_Sounds crazy, right? But I'm being serious here! Don't go to the Harvest! According to the BLU Spy (aka, the Blue Crab), the Harvest is within driving distance from 2Fort. And it's haunted! He didn't do a thing while he was there (except practicing knife tricks to kill me with) and he was cursed into a crab by Zepheniah Mann's ghost! So yeah, I'd stay away from there if I were you. You'd probably want to complain to the Administrator about that too. I'll leave the paper work up to you. I hate paper work, and you seem like the paper work type of guy to me. So, good luck with that._

_Anyways, you know anything about Ghosts? Or curses? Anything? I seriously don't want to kiss a crab to break his curse, and he owes me a free kill._

_I don't know about you, but I want that free kill, man!_

_And don't bother suggesting a Virgin Sacrifice. I like being alive, Thank you!_

_Good Luck in 2Fort._

_Sincerely,_

_The RED Scout from the train station.'_

"Very well done." The Spycrab nodded.

"You wanna sign it too?"

The Spycrab turned to the Scout, a look of confusion was plastered on his face. "Me?" He shook his head. "Oh no, this is RED team business. I wouldn't want to get you into trouble with another RE-"

"Hey," Scout poked him with the eraser on his pencil. " That other Spy didn't seem interested in rattin' me out, an' I think he's cool with what I'm doin' fer ya. So chill, ok?"

He nodded slowly. Still a bit unsure, but took in every word the Scout said to him. The Spycrab flinched a bit when the Scout handed him the pence he was using to write with. He couldn't understand why he was so nervous all of a sudden.

"Go on," Scout tempted him a bit by shaking the pencil teasingly in front of him. "You know you want too."

"Oh alright!" The Spycrab chuckled as he grabbed the pencil with both of his claws. "It won't be pretty though...seeing how I can't write that well with these monsters." He shook the pencil slightly, indicating his large claws. Scout only snickered.

The Spycrab scuttled over to the paper and looked down at the Scout's signature. If you could call it that. Just large all capital letters spelling out his class name. Shame it was against regulations to use their real names. He struggled with the larger pencil a bit before he managed to get the tip onto the paper, and slowly, he wrote out his signature.

'_And the BLU Spy'._

It was written in a sloppy, but legible, cursive.

"There's 'dat chicken shit again." Scout laughed.

The Spy only let out a groan at his own work. With a huff he tossed the pencil aside and jumped from the desk into the Scout's lap.

"Hey, where ya goin'?" asked the Scout, watching the crab slide down his leg and land on the floor.

"I just need to walk around a bit," He answered. "I need the exercise, I'm beginning to feel a bit...out of shape."

The Scout laughed again. Although he doubted the crabs could get fat, bigger, maybe but not fat. He faced his letter again, picking it up and pausing, slowly turning towards the picture of the Spycrab he drew. Without thinking, he grabbed it and placed it behind his letter and folded the two in half before looking around for an envelope. He didn't exactly know why he wanted to send that picture he drew to the other Spy, but it was going to bother him just keeping it with him.

He glanced over his shoulder at the Spycrab, who was doing little stretches in the middle of the floor. His own back turned to the Scout as he stretched his claws in front of him and slowly lifted them above his own little body. Scout looked at his letter again, thinking of the other RED Spy and what the Spycrab said about him. Would he tell the others that he was helping a BLU? Scout a bit surprised that he had forgotten that the crab belonged to the BLU team, despite having the BLU Scout's scarf with him and the blue tint to the crab's hard shell.

Unfolding the letter again, he picked up his pencil again and added near the bottom of the letter:

'_P.S. Please don't tell anyone I'm helping a BLU. It's only temporary, I swear!'_

"Remember, the stamp goes on the envelope, not the letter." The Spycrab reminded the Scout.

Scout quickly slammed down the paper, sitting up straight as if he was caught peeking at a porn magazine. Why was he being so defensive all of a sudden? "Uh...right, thanks fer tellin' me." He said, finally claiming a white envelope and stuffing his letter and picture in it.

"You plan on spending the rest of the day with your teammates?" Asked the Spycrab. "I overheard a few of your friends talking about a movie night. There was talk of popcorn."

"Naw, I'm hangin' out here t'night," Scout replied. "I'm distancin' myself from them." A pause. "I owe them all money."


	22. Winter Rendezvous

_Took forever to finish this chapter. Mostly with the corrections. There still might be some...but all in all, this chapter is useless. XD Unless you count it for adding more proof that Scout and the Spycrab act like an elderly married couple at times. _

* * *

**Chapter 22** - _Winter Rendezvous (but technically it's Autumn)_

When the harsh weather of the past few days finally cleared up one morning, the battle began almost immediately. The days cooped up inside the base had allowed the Scout to take advantage of sleeping in, which didn't make things fun at all when the Soldier pulled him out of bed, still half asleep. The Spycrab took the Scout's departure as his cue to climb up on the bed and take rest snuggled into the residual warmth left on Scout's pillow. All it took was a gust of frigid air to make the Scout snap to attention.

"I thought we never fought on the weekends." Yawned the Scout.

"We haven't had a battle in a while due to the snowstorm," began the Soldier. "The Boss wants us to make up for those days. Complainers will not be tolerated!"

Scout received odd looks from his teammates when he began grumbling to himself as he restocked on supplies. Something about a lazy crabs, curses and wishing he was cursed so he could sleep in.

Scout glared at them over his shoulder with an agitated snarl. "What?"

They all immediately turned their attention elsewhere, a few muttering about what could happen in today's match and a few others fiddling with theirs weapons.

"Jerks." spat the Scout.

Despite the flack he got, it was normal behavior they'd come to expect from the Scout when he hadn't gotten his required hours of sleep. Nobody would hear the Soldier complain; the Bostonian fought better when he was cranky anyway.

* * *

"BONK!"

The BLU Pyro was the first to fall to the Scout's metal bat. Scout made a mental note to stay out of the BLU base; his first official encounter with the BLU Spy had been more recon learning than he ever needed. On the outside, Scout had the advantage of the snow. He could hear the Spy sneaking up on him and potentially catch the BLU Spy's cover being blown by a fellow BLU member inadvertently pointing him out. If the BLU Spy wanted him so bad, he'd have to come play outside where Scout had the home field advantage.

Scout was still a little mad at the BLU Scout for giving the BLU Spy a reason to think he was some kind of threat to the BLU team. He wasn't really much of a threat to anyone; he was just a fast runner with a deadly swinging arm. The only team he was a threat to was an opposing baseball team - if had chosen to go with a career in sports instead of signing up to become a mercenary. God, he missed baseball.

The more he thought about it, the more Scout wondered: what was the worst that the BLU Spy could do to him? No matter how or how many times they killed each other, they would respawn, and the cycle would begin anew. With the old Spy, it was more like a competition - which one could kill the other first? Of course, it was always the old Spy who won, which had pissed the Scout off to no end. With this new Spy, it was a game of cat and mouse, but who was the cat and who was the mouse remained to be seen. Perhaps additional encounters would make that clearer.

A bullet ricocheted off the corner of the stone wall, snapping the Scout out of his thoughts. A few more shots rang out, followed by screams, and then the body of the RED Soldier fell into view.

"Crap! Him again?" growled the Scout, pulling out his scattergun.

Slowly, he rounded the corner, only to have to jerk back as a bullet whizzed past his face.

"GET HIM!" Scout heard the Demoman yell. After taking a quick look, Scout saw it was his very own RED Demoman.

That was good.

Scout wondered if jumping in to help would only complicate things. Very cautiously, Scout kept himself pressed close to the wall and walked around the corner to investigate the situation.

There was a quick flash of blue that eventually took the form of the BLU Scout. Quickly, the BLU jerked his head towards the RED Demoman rushing at him from behind, swinging his Eyelander like a mad man. With a cocky grin and excellent timing, the BLU Scout rocketed into the air and used the Scotsman's head as a springboard, pushing off even higher into the air and sending the drunken man reeling face first into the snow.

"_Ok...never saw him do that before_." Thought the RED Scout.

The RED Pyro came to the Demoman's aid, bellowing a muffled battle cry as it (literally) fired up its flamethrower to take out the BLU. The BLU Scout was quick though, leveling his gaze on the Pyro as he brandished his Force-of-Nature.

"_No fair! Why does HE have one o' those_?"

The nimble BLU Scout jumped once and fired a single round into the ground. The powerful recoil gave him just enough additional upward boost that he succeeded in avoiding the flames all together. The Pyro let out a muffled grunt of confusion, followed shortly by an alarmed yell from the Demoman as the Pyro accidentally turned the flames on him. The RED Scout could only watch in horror as the Scotsman roared in anguish, running around in vain as the flames engulfed him. The Pyro yelped panicked apologies, quickly averting the flames away from its teammate; and, in an unfortunate twist, set ablaze the RED Spy, who had been cloaked in preparation to attack the BLU Scout.

Again, the RED Scout saw the BLU Scout grin, probably because his counterpart hated the RED Spy with a passion; not that the RED Scout could really blame him. The RED Spy was starting to get on his nerves too, treating him like a brain dead child and boring him to death with endless stories about having sex with the BLU Scout's hot mom.

His eyes widened as the BLU Scout took out his pistol and finished off the Demoman and Spy, ending their fire-based misery, before turning his attention to the guilt ridden Pyro. Before the Pyro could even react, he fired several rapid shots at the firebug's head till the RED fell down to the ground: dead.

Without warning, the BLU Scout aimed his pistol at the RED Scout when he tried to turn to run. The RED Scout threw his arms up helplessly and the BLU's face lit up with a surprised smile.

"Hey!" began the BLU Scout with an oddly happy tone.

"_What the friggin' hell_ ?" Scout's eyebrow rose as his gaze traveled slowly over the corpses that lay around them: the two charred bodies of the Demoman and Spy as well as the bullet-riddled bodies of the Pyro and Soldier.

The BLU Scout smiled slyly, seeming to read the RED Scout's expression. "I've been practicing." He said, almost challengingly.

Scout stared at the BLU out of the corner of his eye. "Is he gonna kill me now?"

"I-I-I've been brushin' up on my skills to impress the Spy...uh...the one wh-who's cursed...not-not the current one." continued the BLU Scout. "But he never seemed interested..."

"Uh...ok...," Scout finally said, a bit unsure of the intentions of his counterpart in that moment.

"How is he?"

"Fine."

"R-really? Just 'fine', he's not sick is he?"

"Just his regular crabby self."

"Good...I think."

The BLU Scout scampered up to him; cautiously the RED Scout took several steps back. After seeing the BLU do a number on his RED teammates, he wasn't sure he could trust the guy not to do something similar to him.

"So...we're gonna meet up t'night, right?"

"Excuse me?" The RED Scout was a little peeved; the BLU Scout made it sound like they were going on a date or something.

"Y'said it was alright if I saw the Spy on the w-w-weekends," explained the Scout. "And, well, it's Saturday...so..." He popped his lips. "That means it's th-the weekend."

The RED Scout narrowed his eyes. "God, that stuttering of yers is REALLY annoying." he spat.

"Sorry, I-I-I can't help it." He said timidly, unaware himself that he was still stuttering.

"Don't be such a baby, just cut it out with the stutterin'."

"HEY!" Snapped the BLU, pointing a finger at the Scout's face. "I'd like to see how _you_ react to seein' yer mom sleepin' with the plumber _and_ the painter at **the same time** on **yer** bed at the age of 5!"

There was an awkward silence between the two. The RED Scout gaped while the BLU Scout bit his lower lip and turned away slightly. It was easy to tell the BLU Scout never intended to tell him that. Unfortunately, the RED Scout wasn't sure how to handle this kind of situation.

"Um..." He started. "Right...so...is that broken down cabin...an alright place to meet?"

The BLU Scout quickly turned to him, smiling lightly and nodded. "Y-yeah! That's perfect! A-After the battle though...maybe after dinner as well."

"Right." Scout slowly nodded himself before turning to leave.

"Oh, wait! I forgot something!"

Scout let out a loud groan and he turned around to face his counterpart, only to feel the cold kiss of a metal pistol pressed against his forehead. Without hesitation, the BLU Scout pulled the trigger.

Just like his teammates, he too fell crumbled to the ground, eyes wide open with a look of shocked betrayal. The BLU Scout remained silent for a while, then a soft chuckle escaped him as he watched his counterpart's blood stain the snow. Perhaps this was the thrill the BLU Spy spoke of when he would kill the RED Scout.

"Hmm...Fives REDs in one sweep...'dats a new record..."

* * *

The battle ended in a stalemate. The RED Soldier seemed to be the only one really pissed off over it. He hated not winning. On the plus side, though, the Scout had avoided another encounter with the BLU Spy; but he wasn't in any mood to fight anyone till he got an explanation from the Spycrab. No one told him the BLU Scout was better at fighting then he was; though, come to think of it, he had never fought his counterpart before, mostly due to the fact that he had always been focused on the former BLU Spy.

He tried to avoid drawing attention to his anger by quietly slipping away to his room. Once he was inside, he slammed the door shut with all his might. The Spycrab was still perched atop his pillow, probably entertaining himself by calculating the thread count on the pillow case or some other equally dull and stupid French thing. He looked up casually at the glaring RED Scout.

"Problem?" He asked calmly.

"I got my ass handed to me by 'dat stutterin' psychopath!" Scout snarled.

"The BLU Spy stutters too?"

"You know who I'm talkin' about!"

"Well, what happened?"

The Scout settled down on his knees so he was eye level with the Spycrab on the bed.

"Why didn't you tell me he was part ninja?" He demanded, digging his nails into the bed sheets. "I just saw him take out four of our toughest guys without even breaking a sweat! Then he lured me into a false sense of security and popped me right between the freakin' eyes!"

The Spycrab shrugged. "I thought you knew of his talents. He is, after all, _your_ counterpart."

"I never fought him before! I was always too busy goin' after you!" Scout said defensively. "Besides...he's a wimp! He stutters like a wimp, he acts like a wimp...WHY ISN'T HE A WIMP?"

"Scout," The Spycrab replied very calmly, scuttling closer to the Scout and laying his injured claw atop the boy's hand. "You have to remember something very important: the BLU Scout may act very timid at times...but he IS a hired killer. He would not have been hired if he was anything short of capable."

Slowly, the Scout's face softened, looking almost hurt as he averted his eyes away from the crab. The Spycrab kept his eyes glued on the RED, tilting his own head in confusion. Was that insecurity he was seeing in the boy's face?

"Is...is he better than me?" Scout asked, almost reluctantly. "y-y'know, on the field?"

"You are both very talented fighters." Replied the cursed Spy.

"But if you had to choose...which one of us is better?"

"That wouldn't be very fair, now would it, Scout?" The Spycrab huffed. "Both teams and its members are equally skilled. It's how they use this talent on the field that keeps them alive and earns their pay."

"So...**I'm** the better Scout then!" The Bostonian finally smiled smugly.

The Spycrab rolled his eyes and shrugged, defeated. "Sure, why not?" adding under his breath, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, boy."

With a satisfied chuckle, the Scout jumped to his feet and sauntered over to his dresser, rummaging through the drawers for a dry shirt. The one he was wearing was slightly damp from falling into the snow as a result of managing to slip on the same iced over puddle again and again.

"Oh, I forgot to yell ya," The Scout announced as he pulled out a clean shirt. "We're meetin' up with the BLU Scout later tonight."

"Really?" The crab replied with an intrigued tone. "So do I have time to do my hair?"

"Yeah, I guess but really it's no big-waitaminute! You don't have hair!" He glared at the Spycrab, but the smug, satisfied grin on the crab's face was enough to tell him that he was being teased. "That's it!" He pointed at the Spycrab, almost like an upset parent. "Yer not gettin' a cookie fer dessert tonight!"

The Spycrab's eyes widened as his grin quickly faded. "What? Y-you can't do zhat Scout! I NEED zhat cookie!"

"You should've thought about 'dat before screwing wit' me!"

The Spycrab slammed his claws into the mattress. "YOU...**DEVIL WOMAN**!" Honestly, those weren't the words he had intended to yell at the Scout; he blamed replacing his cigarettes with sweets.

* * *

Soldier's dinner table ramblings were boring him to death. After half an hour of degrading remarks on their day's performance, the Soldier proceeded around the table, telling each member how they should have fought to avoid looking like a bunch of disgraces.

When the Soldier wasn't looking, the Sniper turned to the Engineer and made a punching motion with his hand. "One of these days..." He whispered. The Engineer chuckled quietly. Thankfully the Soldier didn't notice, but the Scout did. He remained silent and kept his head turned towards the fellow American, but his eyes couldn't help but stray back over towards the Sniper and Engineer.

"_Those two have certainly become close lately_..." He noted to himself.

After dinner, Scout headed back to his room to prepare for his meeting with his counterpart. Not that he was excited about it; that other Scout still rubbed him the wrong way, especially after the way he'd shot him in the head earlier. Well, Scout wasn't TOTALLY mad at the BLU; at least his fellow Bostonian looked him in the eyes when he killed him.

Better than being killed by that new BLU Spy, right?

It was a surprise when he entered his room to find the Spycrab smiling up at him silently, the Scout's red sweater on the floor, matching red scarf, and a thicker pair of socks laid out carefully before him.

"It's going to be cold outside," he stated. "You'll need to bundle up."

Scout let out a single huff. "I don't need that; we're not gonna be out there that long anyway."

"Scout, please don't do this tonight," The Spycrab groaned. "Just for once, would you listen to me?"

"He just wants to see you, he said nothing about wanting to talk...not that he can...," Scout paused, turning his head to the side and shaking it in disbelief. "I'm still tryin' to get over the fact that he had sex before me!" He faced the crab again. "Seriously, why didn't you know that? Aren't you two, like, friends or somethin'? "

"We never talk about relationships...," Spy began. "We...honestly had **nothing** good to say about the subject." He then added, "The BLU Scout has been trying to hard to regain his mother's love...while I...I just don't like women to begin with."

Scout sat down on his bed. "So you_ are_ gay."

"Disliking women doesn't make me gay, Scout," The Spycrab said, staying calm. He smiled. "Why do you always assume that?"

A simple shrug from the Scout was his answer. "Well, why don't you like women? They're hot!...sometimes..."

The Spycrab chuckled, shaking his head with a soft grin. "I'll tell you later," He promised, "**Maybe**!" another smile, "But only if you behave."

"Fine, be that way." The Scout pushed himself off the bed and scooped up the former Spy and his red scarf. "I'll wear the scarf, but that's it!"

Scout could feel the Spycrab's skeptical stare, but he dared not look down at the crustacean in his hand, "We're NOT gonna be out that long, I swear."

"It is your funeral, Scout."

* * *

There were a few RED who mingled in the main living quarters. Scout kept quiet as he made his way to the outside of the base. He insisted he was looking around the base since he hadn't had a chance to since they arrived at Coldfront; it was half true.  
Scout already regretted not listening to the Spycrab. The bitter night air made him shudder, even before he stepped out onto the empty field. He felt the Spycrab huddle against his neck, shivering quite violently. Wordlessly, the Scout pulled at the scarf wrapped around his neck and rewrapped it, making sure the Spycrab was enveloped in the folds.

"We won't be long..." Scout repeated softly, his voice reassuring.

"Merci." replied the Spycrab in a whisper.

With a sharp breath to brace himself, Scout ran across the snowy ground, hearing the frost crunch underneath his feet with each quick step. He anchored the Spycrab with one hand to keep him in place and prevent him being jarred too roughly by the Scout's motion. It was a little awkward running that way, but there was no one around to see it, save, perhaps, the BLU Scout.

The dark of night made took a toll on visibility, yet the snow seemed to reflect the brightness of the moon, casting an eerie glow upon the landscape. Scout thought it was a little spooky, almost like something he'd see in a ghost movie. At the same time, it made him think that this would be the part in the film where there'd be a really hot girl -probably dressed in a thin long white dress, despite the cold weather, with equally long light brown hair- running barefoot, for some reason, through the snow while a giant (they're always bigger in the movies) transparent ghost chased after her; the ghost would cackle psychotically while she, unconvincingly, screamed after each ghostly laugh. Then she'd -predictably- trip over a rock or a tree root and then ghost would...

Actually, he never did manage to finish watching a movie like that. Usually, after the monster was introduced, Scout would always run up to his mother's room and claim he'd had a nightmare so she would protect him from the monster. He was six, give him a break! It was older brother's fault anyway.

"I wonder how that movie ended." Scout said, absentmindedly.

"What?" The Spycrab asked.

"Nothing!"

The BLU Scout was already waiting for them. Unlike the RED Scout, he'd been smart enough to wear his blue sweater and the thicker socks. He rubbed his hands together and tucked them under his arms to keep them warm.

"Man, y-y-your crazy for comin' out here dressed like th-th-that!" He chuckled disjointedly, his shivering making his stuttering sound even worse than usual.

"Yeah, like I keep telling him the millionth time," The RED Scout said, pointing to the lump under his scarf, "we're not gonna be long out here anyways!"

"Th-that's a good idea!" nodded the BLU Scout. "It's freezin'."

The Spycrab popped his head out from under the cover of the RED Scout's scarf, glancing over at the BLU Scout and observing that the two were shivering, "Hmm...perhaps you two should cuddle together to stay warm." He said slyly.

"Shut up!" Hissed the RED Scout.

"I-I didn't say anyth-oh wait, yer talkin' to the Spy, huh?" The RED Scout nodded. "Lucky you." The BLU Scout sighed.

Nervously, the BLU Scout walked a little closer to the RED Scout. His attention was focused on the blue crab that was encompassed in the red scarf on the other Scout's neck. He smiled when the crab looked at him, convinced that his cursed friend was smiling back at him. It was hard to tell. After a few seconds, he reached out toward the small crustacean, wanting to touch the crab, not knowing why, but he just HAD too.

The RED Scout pulled back a bit, but stopped when he realized that the BLU Scout was reaching out for the crab, not him. Silently, he reluctantly watched the other Scout and Spycrab interact.

Gently, the BLU Scout brushed his fingers against the rough surface of the Spycrab's hard shell, smiling very softly as he watched the Spycrab nuzzle affectionately against his fingers, looking at his fellow BLU in the eyes with warm glance.

_My friend, it's good to see you again. _

Reluctantly, he pulled back, straightening up and turning to the RED Scout. "Please tell me you know how to fix this! I'm gettin' impatient!"

"I already told ya, I don't know anything 'bout ghost shit, ok?" Replied the RED Scout. "I wrote a letter to another RED asking for advice 'bout this, who know, he might write back."

"Oh...ok," sighed the other Scout; he looked away a bit guiltily. "Yer mad at me, aren't ya? 'b-'bout this morning, huh?"

The RED Scout scowled. "Would _you_ be?"

"I **had** too," insisted his counterpart, "If I didn't, HE would."

"That new BLU Spy?"

The BLU Scout nodded. "I-I overheard him talkin' to himself, he-he does that a lot. He wanted to get back at ya for hittin' him in the neck and sickin' yer boyfriend on him and-"

"BOYFRIEND?" Both the Scout and Spycrab snapped, causing the BLU Scout to take a step back.

"He thinks I'm a fag?" The Scout growled.

"H-hey, don't s-s-shoot the messenger, man!" said the BLU Scout.

"I don't freakin' believe this! That guy is DEAD MEAT! I ain't no fag!"

"So...I take it you're single?"

"What's _that_ gotta do with anything?" retorted the Scout as he rubbed his arms to warm up.

"Joking! I-it was a joke." The BLU Scout chucked nervously, holding up his hands to keep the RED Scout from attacking him.

A pause.

"So...what was he gonna do to me...had you not killed me first?" asked the RED Scout.  
"Slice open your stomach and strangle you with yer own intestines." replied the BLU Scout, a bit too casually.

The RED Scout's jaw dropped, staring at the BLU Scout wordlessly.

"Well, at least 'e's getting better with 'is speech impediment, non?" The Spycrab said with a nervous smile.

"I..uh...I think we're done here." The Scout managed to say.

"Oh...ok...I guess...yeah...it-it's pretty cold out here..." agreed the other Scout.

Without another word, the RED Scout immediately turned around and began walking off. He felt the Spycrab shift around in the scarf, probably taking one last look at his teammate.

"Scout." The Spycrab said calmly.

"What?" He stopped so he could hear the cursed man.

Remaining equally quiet, the little blue crab nodded over to the BLU Scout, who was slowly turning to walk back to the base. Scout raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he repeated.

No response, just a half-lidded stare from the crab. The worst part was that the Scout understood what it meant. With a groan, followed with an eye roll, he turned around.

"Hey!" He called back to his counterpart. Who looked back eagerly. "Um...maybe next weekend...we should meet up earlier...like in the afternoon...it'll give us more time, y'know?"

The BLU Scout smiled widely, nodding quickly. "Y-yeah! That'll be cool!"

"WE'RE STILL NOT FRIENDS THOUGH!"

With that, the Scout turned again and ran back towards the RED base.

"See? Now was that so hard?" The Spycrab cooed in the Scout's ear.

"YES!" Scout replied, bitterly. He still didn't like the BLU Scout. Or the BLU Spy for that matter.


	23. Then there were two

_This chapter...I dunno...I like it. It was fun to write. Especially the ending.  
_

_Things might be weirder after this. Maybe._

* * *

**Chapter 23** - _Then there were two_

The Spycrab noticed an unusual change in the weather as the week went on. It stopped snowing and the cloud cover cleared up, allowing the field to warm up a bit for the fighters. It made him feel uneasy when he noticed how the snow was slowing thinning day after day. Eventually it got to the point where he could even see patches of the ground beneath the snow. That just made things worse when the REDs would return from the battle, practically covered from head to toe in mud. Particularly the Scout, due to all his running and jumping.

One of the Spycrab's newest 'hobbies' to keep himself entertained while the Scout was out. Attempting to, at least, make the Scout's space somewhat liveable for both him and the young Bostonian. While difficult, due to his size, it was helping him slim down some due to all the scuttling, pulling, pushing, and folding. The Spycrab nearly had a heart attack when the Scout arrived covered in the mud and began trailing it on the now visible carpet.

It got the point where the Spycrab would leave a poorly folding clean set of clothes outside his bedroom door with a note on top that read: "_You're not allowed in here till you've changed your clothes_". Luckily it was in readable print.

How the Spycrab managed to lock the door still left the Scout baffled.

Of course it didn't help the Scout that the only place he could change clothes in private was in the bathroom, which was in his room. He wasn't very willing to change in the hallway, even when he knew where everyone was. In the end, the Scout ended up knocking on the Sniper's door and, reluctantly, asking to change in his bathroom. Using the excuse that he accidentally locked himself out of his room and he needed to change his clothes in order to unlock it. The Sniper bought it though, but - at least to the Scout- seemed a bit TOO eager to allow the Scout in.

"Forgive me," was the first thing the Spycrab said when the Scout stomped back into his room, glaring daggers at the crab. "I was helping you avoid turning your room into pigsty."

Eventually, two days later in fact, it became part of their routine. In the end, the Scout convinced the Spycrab that would take his shoes off when the day was over and he wouldn't track mud in his room. The Spycrab thought it was a reasonable deal, and stopped locking the Scout out.

The Spycrab sat idly on the bed, waiting for the Scout to return from his shower when the battle of the day was over. Silently, he just sat there, staring into blank space, occasionally blinking and even yawning. When the Scout finally emerged from the bathroom, in a clean set of clothes. A casual grey shirt with red sleeves and matching reddish-grey sweat pants. The Runner flopped down silently next to the crab on the bed. Causing the cursed Spy to bounce before sliding down in the dip the larger boy caused and landed against the side of his thigh.

"Any problems today?" asked the Spycrab, his voiced muffled against the Scout's leg.

" Not really..." The Scout sighed as he laid back on the bed, resting his hands behind his head as he relaxed. "I almost managed to kill the BLU Spy...but the Sniper beat me too him."

"Oui, I 'ave noticed your Sniper 'as becoming...rather nosey lately." noted the Spy as he climbed up onto the Scout's stomach.

"Well, it's better then gettin' killed by that guy, right?" The Scout shrugged. "Shit, it shouldn't be THIS hard to kill a guy."

The talk of the BLU Spy that replaced him made the Spycrab think of the weather again. With the snow slowly melting away, it was going to be hard for the Scout to hear the BLU Spy sneaking up on him or to identify a cloaked enemy walking through. If it didn't start to snow again soon, the BLU Spy was finally going to get the upper hand on the Scout. **His**Scout.

"Um...Scout?" He began. "I was wondering...is...is it alright if I come with you tomorrow on the battle field?"

The Scout sat up, looking at the Spycrab with a confused expression. "Yer jokin' right? Why would you want too? It's safer up here."

"I..." He didn't want to cause the Scout to panic or becoming paranoid with his observation of the snow. " I would like to be of some help to you, Scout. Perhaps as a second pair of eyes."

After a brief pause, the Scout looked up a bit, as if thinking. He nodded before turning to the Spycrab again. "Are you sure you can handle it?" Scout's tone was full of concern. "I-I-I mean...y'know, the weather -?"

The Spycrab nodded slowly, looking at him with a half-dreamy look. "As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine." He said out loud. Letting out a silent gasp when he realized what he said.

Immediately, the Spy flinched, holding his claws up as a shield. Expected the Scout to yell at him for saying that. Maybe even grab him and toss him across the room (Scout did that once). But after a few seconds of absolute silence, the Spycrab glanced over at the Scout , blinking a few times out of confusion. The Scout slowly laid back down again, his gaze glued to the ceiling and his hands folded on his chest. The former Spy could swear he saw a faint tint of pink on the runner's face.

He let out a sigh of relief, believing the Scout was finally learning to remain calm every time he would 'sweet-talk' the boy. The Spycrab spoke too soon. After he sighed the Scout immediately swatted him off his stomach.

"Shut up!"

* * *

The field erupted with gunfire and distant cries from the fighters. Several explosions would break the pattern, thanks to the two Soldiers and their rocket launchers.

The Scout focused on hiding until he and the Spycrab were on the same wavelengths. He didn't want a repeat on the stalemate that happened back at 2fort. Granted that had the Scout actually listened to the Spycrab, they probably would've won.

With his back against the rock wall, the Scout removed his hat and allowed the crab to slide down onto his shoulder.

The Spycrab did a quick scan of the landscape. "Merde, I'd hate to see the bill for the Spy's dry cleaning."

"The BLU Spy or our Spy?" asked the Scout.

"As if it matters, they're both screwed financially with all this mud."

"Oh."

The blue crab returned to his task. "This shouldn't be too hard," He smiled as he slipped into the Scout's scarf. " You focus on getting to the points, I'll keep an eye out for enemies coming from behind."

"Sounds like a plan." Nodded the Scout.

Once the Scout felt the Spycrab was in position, he took off running across the field. Keeping his gaze focused ahead of him and putting his trust in the cursed Spy. Not that he had much of a choice, he knew the Spy would bring it up again and again if he didn't listen to him. Again.

"Sniper to your right." The Spycrab alerted.

The Scout looked to his right, spotting the BLU Sniper perched on the edge a cliff, aiming his gun at the RED Runner. Smirking, Scout immediately jumped, hearing a bullet ricochet off the ground where he once stood. Hearing the Sniper yell out in anger was totally worth it.

"Thanks." He whispered to the crab.

The two sped across the field, the Spycrab calling the Scout's attention to everything that could either be a hazard or something he could use as an advantage. The BLU Pyro came at the Scout with its axe, still trying desperately to get back at the Scout for their encounter at 2fort. The Spycrab advised the Scout to stay close to the rock walls, which the Scout did, ducking and pulling back each time the BLU Pryo swung his axe at him. He desperately wanted to shoot the Pyro when he had the chance, but the Spy told him to wait.

Eventually the Pyro took a final swing at the Scout, again, the Scout pulled away. The axe collided into the wall, jamming the tip of the axe between two pieces of rock on the wall. The BLU struggled to release its weapon.

"NOW you may kill him."

"Finally!" The Scout didn't hesitate to point his scattergun at the firebug and pull the trigger. Having to shoot at the enemy BLU several times before the Pyro finally fell dead.

"Very good, Scout." complimented the cursed Spy.

"Didn't that bother you though? I mean...he?...uh...she?...uh...'dat Pyro use to be yer teammate." The Scout asked, reloading his gun.

"Just a little bit, but it's ok, Scout," The Spycrab admitted. "But...I think we have far more important things to focus on, oui?"

The Scout nodded, returning back into the open and joining a few of his team mates as they opened fire on a group of BLUs. The Spycrab looked back at his own team mate, he never spoke much with the Pyro, but it really didn't bother him to see the Scout shoot the firebug. He felt he should, technically he was still a BLU, but he felt nothing. It took him a while to notice that the only thing he worried about was the RED Scout's safety.

"_It's official, I'm going soft_." thought the Spycrab.

* * *

-hours later-

"We have captured the control point!" Called out the Announcer.

The Scout assisted with capturing the control point that was located outside. While the others ran off to the next points, both the Scout and Spycrab agreed to remain outside. The Spycrab was unsure if the new BLU Spy was outside or inside. During their scuffle so far, there were no signs of his . The crab grumbled to himself, knowing that he jinxed it by even thinking of the new BLU Spy.

The Scout, however, a bit more concerned with running into his counterpart. While he was killed by him because of trusting the other Scout momentarily, he was a bit nervous about how dealing with the BLU. Was he tougher than him? Honestly, he didn't want to find out.

The two remained silent as the Scout ran laps through out the field, jumping at attention when a BLU would run into their line of vision and open fire by reflex. Occasionally the Scout would fail to listen to the Spycrab when he would tell the runner to dodge instead of returning the attack when a melee challenge would happen, and the Scout would receive damage. An annoyed glare would tell the Spycrab not to remind the Scout that he didn't listen to his warning. Slow learner, that Scout.

After a while the Bostonian retreated near the RED base, a bit exhausted but thankful he was still alive. He panted slightly running, leaning against the outside of the worn down cabin, hoping to catch his breath.

"How ya doin'?" He wheezed, addressing the Spycrab.

"You are doing a very good job, Scout." The Spycrab smiled.

"I ain't worried 'bout that," chuckled the Scout. " I askin' bout _you_? You still in one piece?"

There was a momentary pause. "Yes." The Spy said slowly. "I'm...doing fine from here."

The moment quickly faded when the Spycrab heard something from behind the Scout. He turned slightly on the Scout's shoulder, seeing nothing. At first he almost chose to forgot it, but recalled his own advice he had given the Scout. Immediately, his eyes trailed down to the ground. Despite the lack of snow around the cabin, there was, however, plenty of mud to leave footprints. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a few new prints appear in the mud, slowly making its way towards the Scout.

"Do not panic, Scout," The Spycrab whispered into the boy's ear. "but the Spy is approaching you from behind."

"WHAT?" The Scout spun around, swinging his metal bat by reflex into the air. The Spycrab grabbed onto the Bostonian's shirt as he turned quickly, almost being thrown off.

The bat struck something, but froze in the air. Slowly, the new BLU Spy's hand materialized in front the Scout, his fingers wrapped around the bat, just inches from his head.

"Now 'ow did you know I was coming?" asked the Spy, trying not to sound impressed. He did sound annoyed though.

"Oh...shit." was all the Scout could say.

" 'shit' indeed." Replied the Spy before kicking the boy to the ground, making him land in more mud.

Before the Scout would push himself up, the Spy was on top of him, pinning him down by the neck as he pulled out his knife. Holding it over the Scout's stomach threateningly.

"Shame really, I thought you were a bigger challenge zhen zh-"

Snap.

"AAAAAAAAAAAUUGH!" The Spy pulled back his hand, having the Spycrab attached to it. Using his claws to get the Spy off the Scout. " Je vous en supplie, arrêtez de me faire mal!"

Surprised a bit, the Scout finally crawled back from the BLU Spy, fighting back by kicking the Spy in the stomach. Cause the man to curl over in pain, letting out a mix sound of screaming and wheezing. The Spycrab tightened his grip on the Spy's hand before finally letting go, landing in the mud and glaring at the new Spy, who weakly eyed the crab in confusion.

"I don't care if you can hear me or not," He growled at the man. "But stay away from the Scout."

The BLU Spy's eyes widened as he inhaled sharply. "Did...you?" He pulled back, ignoring the pain in his stomach and on his hand, desperate to get away from the crab. "N-Non! Zhat is impossible!"

It was the Scout's turn to widen his eyes, the Spycrab did the same, mostly from sudden déjà vu. "You heard him?" Scout pulled himself to his feet.

"_YOU_'eard 'im?" The Spy's voice cracked a bit as he jumped up. "No, no, no, no, no, Zhi-zhis 'as to be a trick!" He let out a nervous, yet also high-pitched, laugh. "Crabs...crabs do not talk!"

"You're a virgin?" The Scout tried his hardest not to laugh, but he was mostly shocked but this sudden discovery. The Spy of all people. A virgin.

The Spy glared at him, immediately slapping the boy across the face in anger. "How DARE you call me zhat!" He yelled. "I am no such thing!"

Enraged - actually is was humiliated- the BLU Spy took out his knife again. Attempting to take a slash at the Scout, but ended up dropping the knife when the crab sunk his claws into the back of the Spy's foot. The Scout swung at the Spy again with his metal bat, knocking out a tooth and knocking the man to the ground. Practically drowning him in mud.

Quickly, the Scout scooped up the Spycrab and took off for the RED base, not knowing where else to run. He couldn't help but look back at the new BLU Spy when he recovered and was slowly picking himself up off the ground. Glaring at the RED Scout as he ran.

It was still a major shock to the Scout. Every Spy he had ever known, either it be the RED Spy, the Spycrab, or the current BLU Spy, in his mind they were practically clones of James Bond. Smooth talkers who just had to say 'hi' to get in bed with any woman of his choosing. But THIS Spy? A virgin? The Scout wasn't sure if he should laugh or feel sorry for him.

All he had to do was remember what the BLU Scout told him the Spy was going to do the next time they met to begin hating him again.

They were both panting from excitement when they were safe in the RED base. The Scout retreated behind a dispenser the Engineer had built before they began talking again.

"Are you alright?" asked the Spycrab, looking a little beat up from falling.

"I'm fine, man, what about you?" The Scout unrolled his left sleeve before ripping it off, using it to wipe off the mud from the Spycrab. "You could've gotten hurt out there!"

"I'll probably be sore in the morning..." The former Spy tried to sound optimistic, but he was still a little hurt, physically.

"Um...thanks fer savin' me," The Scout smiled with a very light shrug. " Yer not psychic or anything, are ya?"

"Not that I know of, Why?"

"Well, had you not asked to come with...that-that Spy would probably be jump ropin' around with my guts, y'know?"

The Spycrab nodded, secretly enjoying the Scout rubbing the mud off him with his own sleeve. How thoughtful.

"Scout..." He began. "Perhaps...we could use this as an advantage."

The Scout blinked. "What do you mean?"

"That other Spy is a virgin...perhaps I can talk to him, explain what has happened and maybe he could-"

"NO!" The Scout almost yelled.

The Spy looked up at the Scout, noticing the anger - no...that was jealousy he saw in the Bostonian's eyes. The Scout didn't have to tell him why, although he knew the Scout was going to tell him a highly unbelievable excuse, he also highly doubted the new BLU Spy would want to help him either way. What was in it for him anyway?

The Scout cleared his throat, trying his hardest to cover up the faint blush on his face. "Cuz...uh...well...y'know...y-y-you still owe me one! I didn't help you for almost a month now just to give you up to another freakin' virgin." He said, avoiding eye contract with the crab. "I mean I want y-...that-that free kill!"

"Scout." The Spycrab whispered.

"What?"

"Shut up."

Both the Scout and Spycrab looked up when a familiar bell rung out.

"VICTORY! WE HAVE CAPTURED THE FINAL CONTROL POINT!"

"Great timing." Thought the Scout as he pushed himself up his feet, holding the Spycrab close to him in doing on. "Come on," He muttered. "Lets get back inside...I need to wash the mud off my ass."

* * *

-_BLU Base. Hours Later_-

The BLU Spy reluctantly approached the infirmary, it was against his nature to ask for help, but after what he witnessed today...he was willing to make an exception. It wasn't everyday when crabs attack, and then speak to you.

Sighing, he pushed open the door to the infirmary and stepped it, catching sight of the BLU Medic sitting at his desk. The Medic didn't respond to the Spy walking it, he kept his head turned down as he worked diligently on a cross-word puzzle. Annoyed at being ignored, the Spy cleared his throat loudly.

"Hmm?" The Medic finally looked up. "Oh! Spy! Zhis is a surprise." He paused slightly, setting down his crossword puzzle and walked silently up to the Spy. Not saying a word until he grabbed the Spy's jaw, forcing his thumb into the man's mouth and prying it open. Whistling a bit when he noticed the damage done to the Spy's teeth, a few chipped as well as a tooth missing on the top, front row of teeth. "My, my. How did zhis happen?"

The Spy tried to pull away from the Medic's grasp, but the German kept a firm hold on his jaw. Keeping his mouth pried open as he continued to inspect the damage.

" H'eh 'hout don' 'hi' tu' meh." He managed to say.

"Uh-huh, interesting," Nodded the Medic before finally letting go. "Too bad I'm a doctor for bodies, not teeth."

The Spy rubbed his jaw, immediately frowning at the Medic's statement. "What?"

"Ja, damage zhat is received und not healed before cease fire become permanent," The Medic explained. "Und BLU does not haff dental..." He added under his breath, before quickly clearing his throat. Thankfully the Spy didn't hear that last part.

"That little brat will pay..." The Spy hissed, wincing in pain when he clenched his teeth. "Merde!"

"Vell..." The Medic crossed his arms, looking at the Spy with annoyance. "I'm pretty sure your teeth is not zhe reason you are here, Ja?"

"I...I need to talk to you about something, Doctor." Began the Spy, trying to take his mind off his missing tooth. "It ez a bit personal."

"You don't haff to worry, Herr Spy," The doctor said calmly. "If its embarrassing, nobody will know...except for me...und you...und zhe Scout."

The Spy scowled. "What?"

The Medic pointed over towards a few hospital bed that sat on the far side of the infirmary. The BLU Scout sat in one of them, looking up nervously from a magazine the Medic had provided for him.

"Poor boy," sighed the doctor. "Blown up vhile drinking zhat Bonk! of his." He chuckled. "Alvays gives him stomach cramps vhen he respawns."

"I see..." The Spy narrowed his eyes at the Scout, who hid his face behind the magazine.

"So...vhat is zhe problem?"

The Spy cleared his throat again. "I...I think zhis cold mountain air is getting to me. Ez it possible to...'ear things? Out here?"

"Vhat kind of things?"

"Well...it eez funny now zhat I think about it...but when I attacked zhe RED Scout today, it would appear zhat zhe boy snuck his pet...crab...onto zhe field today." explained the Spy.

The Scout gasped lightly, peering up slightly from the magazine.

"A crab? My...zhat is a strange creature to have as a pet." The Medic scratched his chin.

"And...now 'ere eez zee funny part...when I attacked zhe Scout, it attacked me," The Medic nodded. "And...it spoke to me!"

The Scout's eyes widened "WHAT-?" He yelled out in shock. Both the Medic and Spy looked at him. "-the heck does...quantum physics have to do wi-with soccer?" The Scout slumped down in the bed and covered his face with the magazine again.

"Vierd." The Medic muttered before turning to the Spy again. "Anyway...zhis crab spoke to you?"

"It told me to stay away from zee Scout...in a French accent!" added the Spy.

The doctor didn't look convinced. "Uh-huh..." He walked over to his desk. "Vell, stress und paranoia often causes people to hear things...sometimes...zhey even haff been known to see things as vell." The German opened a compartment in his desk and shuffled around in the drawer. "Here, zhis should help."

He handed the Spy a handful of pamphlets, each one of them were for an asylum.

"I'm NOT crazy!" retorted the Spy, throwing the brochures at the Medic. "I'm just 'earing things! Actually...zhat crab was zhe only thing zhat spoke to me."

"Riiiiiiight." The Medic said sarcastically.

" It is just a minor sickness, oui? Don't you 'ave medicine for it?" asked the Spy, sounding slightly panicked.

Again, the Medic scratched his chin. Slowly, he walked over to a cabinet that was near his desk. He mumbled incoherently to himself as took out a few bottles and looked them over, often setting them aside and pulling out a few more. The Spy took another long annoyed look at the BLU Scout, who continued to look down at his magazine.

"Ah! Here we go." Announced the Medic, holding up a large bottle. "Zhis should take care of things."

The Spy let out a relieved sigh. "Merci, Doctor." He said very politely. Although, he immediately frowned when he saw the size of the pill the Medic had recommended. It almost - keywords being 'almost'- fit the palm of the doctor's gloved hand. "Um...I do not think I can swallow zhat."

A rather evil grin suddenly appeared on the BLU Medic's face as he held up the pill teasingly between his two fingers. "Oh...you do not haff to vorry about swallowing zhis, herr Spy." He chuckled.

The Spy raised an eyebrow.

"It's a suppository."

"I...I do not understand." admitted the Spy, looking genuinely confused.

The grin on the Medic just got bigger. "Bend over, herr Spy." he purred.


	24. Reading Material

I apologize for the wait and a lousy chapter. Writer's block can be the biggest pain.

* * *

**Chapter 24** - _Reading Material_

The Spycrab finally understood why the Scout enjoyed taking baths so much. Oh course, the joy of the actual bath was mostly just bathing _with_the Scout. He was still curious as to why the Scout didn't seem to mind. Usually the Scout would just put a bowl filled with warm water on the floor of the bathroom and allow the Spy to handle the rest. This time, he was actually in the tub with Scout. Not that he'd complained. He held completely still as the Scout held him in his hands as the boy sat in the tub. Just relaxing in the hot water, till the Scout cracked a steamed crab joke. Then they got down to actually washing themselves with soap. During that part, the Scout placed the crab on his shoulder. Again, the Spy didn't complain.

"MAIL CALL!"

It was around the early evening when the Scout walked into the kitchen, after changing into some clean clothes and realizing how hungry he was. Apparently the mail had been delivered while they were out and the Soldier happily distributed them out while everyone was resting in the living room. The Scout paid no attention, he kept to himself and began shuffling through the cabinets for something to eat.

"Oh lord, looks like your girlfriend wrote to you, Spy." He heard the Soldier groaned. Everyone let out an annoyed groan as well. The Spy only let out an amused chuckle as he accepted the letter that reeked of an expensive perfume.

"Ahh... ma petite chou-fleur." The RED Spy purred lewdly as he sniffed the letter.

The Scout rolled his eyes. He wasn't sure why he was eavesdropping anyway. Jealously, most likely. He hadn't received a letter from his own family for a while now. Not sure why. With a sigh, he returned searching for food. Eventually grabbing a few boxes of crackers, he and the Spycrab enjoyed eating those together. Before he could disappear down the hall, the Soldier called out to him.

"Hold on there, son, you got a letter!"

"Huh?" The Scout looked at the envelope with a confused glance. He took the letter and looked at the address. "2fort?"

He couldn't remember who he had written too. The shock from finding out the BLU Spy was a virgin kind of erased that major detail in his mind. The Scout continued to stare at it with a dumbfounded look.

"Wrote to one of the other REDs, huh?" Chuckled the Soldier.

"Whaaaaaa-?" The Scout dropped the boxes of food he was carrying when he finally realized who had written to him. He held the letter in his hands as if it was his own heart. " Oh. My. GOD!" He managed to say. "OH. MY. GOD!"

"Who's it from?" asked the Soldier.

The Scout's breathing hitched slightly. "OH. MY. GOD!"

"Who's it from?" asked the Soldier, a little more eagerly.

"OH. MY. GOD!" Without answering the Soldier, the Scout turned and ran down the hall, practically giggling like a girl at a boy-band concert.

The Soldier frowned. "We may never know who wrote that letter," He jumped up on the kitchen table epically. "BUT I'LL MAKE IT MY LIFE'S WORK TO FIND OUT!"

"Herr Soldier!" The Medic scolded, swatting the American with a rolled up newspaper. "Get off zhe table! You...Dummkopf!"

* * *

The Scout almost tripped over himself as he ran to his room, falling only once but managing to crawl up to his door an opening it.

"He wrote back!" announced the Scout, his voice a little higher than usual. Waving the letter proudly.

The Spycrab looked at him from the pillow he slept on at night. Still sidled up next to the Scout's bed. He immediately frowned at how excited the Scout was for receiving a letter from the other RED Spy. Red, as he now thought of that Spy as.

"Did he now?" grumbled the Spycrab.

Nodding, the Scout locked the door and walked over to the bed, desperately trying to open the letter. "J-jeeez," The Scout said, letting out several grunts as he pulled at the paper. "My-my hands won't stop shaking."

"Oh for the love of..." With a huff, the Spycrab climbed his way up onto the bed, yanking the envelope from the Scout and opening it up himself without any problems. "Here!"

"Thanks." He reached out and took the piece of paper, carefully unfolding it. His hands continued to shake as he sat still, staring at the letter with wide, curious eyes.

"Well?" Asked the Spycrab after a few minutes have passed.

"I..I can't read it..." The Scout admitted.

The Spycrab blinked. "You don't know how to read?"

"No, I can read, I just can't read his handwriting."

Curiously, the cursed Frenchmen peeked over the Scout's arm, noticing the writing on the stationary. Red had written to the Scout in English, thankfully, but also printed out his words, a bit too small for the Scout to read without having to bring his face up to the letter.

"Can you read it to me?" The Scout asked, handing the letter to him.

With a soft smile, the crab took to paper with his good claw. "It'll be an honor." said the Spycrab. He laid out the letter flat on the bed so the Scout could follow along with him as he read. The Scout laid down on his stomach, laying his head in his hands as he heard the Spycrab clear his throat.

_Dear Scout,_

He paused when he heard the Scout let out a giggle, looking at the young RED from the corners of his eyes before continuing.

_Yes, I do remember you and your crab from the train station! I'm elated to see that you're in better spirits since the last time we met._

I do apologize for not warning you about the extreme cold. Considering that I caught pneumonia during my tour there, I should have been more mindful of that fact. The heat here is a bit much, but if I stay hydrated, I should be okay. I don't do well in extreme temperatures.

The ghost of Zephaniah Mann cursed the BLU Spy, you say? I'm not too knowledgeable on the paranormal, but I do remember seeing some books relating to that topic in the study area at the base. Why there's a book on the paranormal at a base in the middle of a war is beyond me, but it appears that it was meant for you to read. I will heed your warning and not go to Harvest.

I hope this information is pertinent to your needs. You don't need to fret about me telling anyone about you assisting a BLU. Your secret is safe with me. There may be more times in the future where company lines are ignored to solve serious issues such as this one.

Good luck in your endeavors, you two. I hope the BLU Spy can return to his normal body soon. I know you can do it, Scout.

Sincerely,

The Spy from the Train station.

_P.S. Thank you for the drawing! I have it hanging up on my bulletin board in my room. Here is a drawing for you as thanks._

The Spycrab tilted his head curiously, finally noticing the extra bit of paper sticking out from behind the letter. The Scout noticed too, almost immediately after the Spy finished reading. It turned out the other RED Spy attached a pen drawing of Scout and Spycrab sitting on a bench at the train station at 2Fort.

The Scout smiled, letting out another childish giggle. "Ah, friggin' Sweet! That guy is just too cool!" he said. "Is there anything he CAN'T do?"

"Write large enough for you to read?" The Spycrab pouted.

"Dude, that was a rhetorical question."

"Oh. I did not know 'rhetorical' was part of your vocabulary," growled the Spycrab. "Been reading the dictionary _again_?"

"What's gotten int' ya, Spy?" asked the Scout, looking slightly hurt. "I never saw ya getting this...angry before."

"I'm not angry." The Spycrab insisted.

"Then why are you yellin' at me?"

"Because..." There was a pause. "Be-because that Spy has committed an unspeakable crime against the arts!"

"Huh?" The Scout was utterly confused.

The Spycrab pointed to the picture Red drew. "I am NOT that fat! And...your legs aren't that long!"

Scout wasn't convinced. Not even the Spy was convinced with his own excuse. There was no point in explain to the Scout his discomfort with how the boy reacts every time the other RED Spy was brought up. He was willing to admit to himself that was jealous, but to the Scout? No. The runner would never understand.

"So..." The Scout began, deciding to change the subject. "There's a study in this place..."

"Oui." agreed the crab, awkwardly.

"Think we should check it out?"

"Oui."

The Scout looked down at the picture again before standing it, smiling at it, thinking back to when he first encountered the Spy as a crab. And then remember how the new BLU Spy reacted to hearing the crab talk to him. While he wasn't sure who reacted worse, he was thankful the Spycrab managed to save him from being sliced open.

He placed the picture on his desk, making a mental note to frame it or something when he had the time. Hopefully, the book Red spoke of in his letter would help them find an alternate cure for the Spy's curse. He still didn't want to kiss that crab. Now that he thought about, did crabs even have lips?

* * *

This was the first time the Scout, and Spycrab for that matter, had a change to fully explore the base. Most of his time consisted of thinking up new strategies to use on the field and against the BLUs. Actually that was a lie. After every battle he would head straight to his room and stay there the rest of the night. Usually talking with the Spycrab about random topics, before getting bored and going to bed.

He got a few odd stares from his team mates when they noticed he was out and walking around. They weren't going to question it, so they reacted by ignoring the Scout all together. Lucky, from the Scout's point of view, now they weren't going to be bothered.

It took a while to locate the Study. Almost about an hour since the Scout kept going in circles throughout the hallways. Even having to stop and ask for directions from a passing RED, to which the Scout totally ignored their instructions. It got the point when the Spycrab hoped down from the Scout's hand and lead the way himself. Seeming to get a better idea of the layout of the base after the Scout ran in circles through it a few hundred times. As usual, the Spycrab found it without any problems.

"Show off." Mumbled the Scout

The Study was a well lit room. The walls lined with bookcases, some having a small amount of readable literature on their shelves, others practically overflowed with books. It was almost like a mini-library from the Scout's point of view. It was the table in the middle of the room, and a chair in the far corner that gave him that feeling. Part of him was expecting to find a librarian somewhere in this room, prepared to 'shhh' them to death at the slightest amount of noise. He hates librarians. Especially if they were hot, but annoying as any other.

"Where should we begin?" Asked the Spycrab as he scuttled quickly into the study.

The Scout followed after the crab, making sure not to step on him as he entered. "I'm not sure," Scout replied. "How the hell are we gonna find a book on paranormal shit with all this crap everywhere?"

"Oh come now, Scout," The Spycrab smirked. "Not every book is, as you said, complete crap."

A scoff was the Scout's response.

"What? You never read a book before?"

"I read, it's just all the books I've read before was complete crap."

"And redundant." muttered the Spy under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

The Scout narrowed his eyes at the crab, watching him silently scuttle further into the room, moving up to the closest bookshelf and reading off the titles of the books to himself. Due to the crab's height, he could only read the books on the bottom shelf. With a heavy sigh, the Scout followed after the cursed Spy. Leaning down to go across the self above the one the Spycrab was working on. Slowly, moving his way up the bookcase, dancing his fingers across the spines of each book.

He felt a little ridiculous when he thought about it. From another point of view, seeing a young man go through book after book with a small blue crab would look pretty ridiculous. Especially since the crab couldn't really do much but scuttle across the floor to the next bottom shelf and check there for the book Red had recommended.

Another factor was the types of book that had been shelved there for the mercenaries to read. Scout honestly didn't care, since he didn't read much to begin with, he didn't have the patience for them. He couldn't help but snicker when he came across a cheesy romance novel with a picture of a tan man with long flowing dark hair and a white puffy shirt, that was low cut in the front to reveal his chiseled chest. Naturally accompanied by an attractive pale woman with equally long hair, but instead it was blond- it was always a blond- and also wearing a long flowing dress. Scout found it a big ridiculous since he remembered his mom having the same exact book at him. She'd always yell at him not to read it when he was younger.

Curiously, and making sure the Spycrab wasn't looking, the Scout nonchalantly opened the book and took a peek at what was written inside this book.

"_And then Trevor, with the wind flowing through his long raven locks, and his powerful chest heaving with desire, took Maria into his well-toned arms. Staring into her emerald green eyes and...- what the hell is this shit_?" The Scout frowned, shutting the book closed and tossing it over his shoulder with disgust. No wonder his mom wouldn't let him read her books, they were just terrible.

"Scout!" called out the Spycrab, a few bookcases over from where the runner stood. "I think I found it!"

The Scout ran over to where the Spy was, finding him struggling to get a fairly large book off the bottom shelf. He reached in to take over, but the Spycrab swatted away his hand, insisting he could do it. So the Scout merely crossed his arms and sat down on the floor, watching a rather pathetic sight with the Spycrab clinging onto the book with his claws and jerking back, slowly pulling the book from the shelf. After a while, he gave up, collapsing onto the ground and panting heavily. The Scout smiled slightly, shaking his head as he scooped the Spycrab off the floor and placed him on his shoulder before grabbing the book with ease.

"Don't push yerself, ok?" He said to the crab, leaning against the bookcase. "Yer not exactly...y'know, built for heavy liftin' n' crap."

"I'm sorry..." The Spycrab said weakly. "I just...didn't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden," Said the Scout, calmly as he flipped open the book. "I don't mind doin' this, so it's no big deal."

The Spycrab sighed as he flattened out tiredly on the Scout's shoulder. "You have done so much for me..."

"Yer not gonna say somethin' cheesy are ya?" Interrupted the Scout, glancing at the cursed Frenchmen from the corner of his eyes. " 'cuz I won't put up wit' that shit."

The way the Spycrab averted his eyes was an obvious 'yes'. So he remained quiet, allowing the Scout to focus on the book again. It was quiet for a while.

"You don't have to do this for me, Scout." began the Spy again. "I've already put you through too much."

"I already told you, I don't mind doin' this," replied the Bostonian. "Why are you actin' so weird? You've been pushing me to lift 'dis curse of yers for nearly a month now. And...now you don't want me too?"

"I've...just been thinking..." admitted the Spycrab.

"That's a dangerous pastime." Scout shrugged, keeping his eyes glued to the book at he flipped through it.

Again, he remained quiet. Feeling a bit nervous to talk anymore. There were so many things going through his mind right now: Confusion. Anxiety. Worry.

He couldn't tell, really, how he felt at the moment.

"This should be helpful." The Scout said at last, slamming the book shut. "It doesn't exactly have a list of cures for a curse from a ghost, but if I study this really closely I should find someway to turn you human again."

"Are...you sure you want to do this?" The Spy's tone was serious. "You don't have too..."

"Hey, I told you I was gonna help you, remember? I ain't a quitter."

The Spycrab nodded slowly. "Oui."

The Scout let out a sigh, turning his attention back to the book again. The Spycrab remained quiet again, as did the RED. After a while, the Scout held the book to his chest as he pushed himself up onto his feet and headed towards the door.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to do my homework with this ghost shit, huh?" The Scout smiled nervously.

"It would appear to be that way."


	25. Bed Bugs

I would've gotten this posted sooner, a **lot** sooner, but I got distracted by "Meet the Medic". It was awesome.

This particular chapter...I was talked into including this by a picture I drew involving Scout and the Spycrab...so I did.

You can find the picture here:

.com/art/TF2-Bed-Bugs-193128162?q=boost%3Apopular%20by%3ACrystal124%20Spy%20Scout&qo=11

* * *

**Chapter 25** - _Bed Bugs_

It began snowing again. Eventually forming into a snowstorm that kept both sides cooped inside till it cleared up. The Scout took the opportunity to begin his research through the book of paranormal studies. He locked himself in his room and sat on his bed, silently reading through the book, cover to cover. The Spycrab could only watch, feeling a bit helpless due to his form. Desperately, he wished he could help the Scout in some way - or that he at least knew something that would help lift his own curse. That wasn't going to happen anytime soon, but at least he kept the new BLU Spy away from the RED Scout. That was really the only bright side he could find.

The next few days were clear weather, allowing the teams to battle again. Leaving the Spycrab to only watch the fight from the window. At the end of the day, the Scout would return, shower quickly, then resume reading the book - Almost like clockwork.  
The Scout eventually finished the book, only to start rereading it again as he began taking notes this time. The Spy noticed that they were all related to how he was cursed when he snuck a peek at the boy's notes. Every now and then the Scout would ask him questions about the day he was turned into a crab, quickly writing it down and return reading the book. Leaving the Spycrab alone...so very alone. It bothered him the most when he removed the bandage on his injured claw, to see it was fully healed- although there was a deep imprint on the surface that would surely be a scar if he were to become human again. The Scout was too busy to notice this.

While the new BLU Spy has yet to show up since it was discovered he too was a virgin, that didn't stop the other BLUs from sending the Scout to respawn. It was painful to the Spycrab to see the Scout run almost drunkenly across the field, having to stop to catch his breath, or even just running all together and falling onto the ground. Leaving him open to attacks from the BLUs. Almost like he was a zombie. What was going on with that boy?  
He was reluctant to question it when the Scout returned. The Scout would force himself to smile at the Spycrab when they would meet up, in the morning and in the evening. It was starting to bother the former Frenchmen a lot. Regaining his human form was not worth seeing the Scout work himself to death.

* * *

More snow had been dumped down upon them from the heavens in the form of a blizzard, waking the Spycrab from his slumber. Annoyed at the heavy flakes that would bounce off the window. He yawned loudly, snuggling back into the pillow in the usual spot on the floor next to the Scout's bed. It made him feel like a pet, but he wasn't going to complain. It was better than being in a tank like a real crab.

The Spycrab was just about to drift back to sleep when he heard the bed squeak. Looking to see the Scout shifting around in his bed. Rolling onto his back, holding still for a moment, before groaning and turning onto his stomach. Shortly after, he would shift again, trying to sleep on his back again. After this repeated a few more times, it was really starting to annoy the little crab.

"Scout?" The Spycrab said softly.

The Scout groaned, pulling himself to the edge of the bed and peering down . "What?" He said weakly.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Can't sleep."

The Spycrab kept his eyes glued to him, not satisfied with the answer given. Prompting the Scout to let out a sigh. "I...haven't been able to sleep for the last couple days, ok?" Yep, he sounded cranky. "There's just too much on my mind right now."

"Lift me up." ordered the Spy.

With another sigh, the Scout lowered his hand down and brought the Spycrab up onto his mattress. An additional sigh escaped him as the Scout dropped his head onto the mattress, watching the crab look at him. .

"You are working too hard." The Spycrab said simply.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Kind of..." admitted the Spy. "You look like hell."

"Thanks." The Scout attempted to say it sarcastically, but couldn't.

The Spycrab rubbed his claw the way he would have rubbed a hand on the Scout's shoulder. Feeling how tense the Scout was as the boy closed his eyes helplessly.

"Let me help you, Scout." He cooed into the Scout's ear. "Take off your clothes."

The Scout's eyes shot open. "**What**?"

"I...said take off your shirt." The Spycrab smiled sheepishly, hoping the Scout would believe his corrected statement.

The blank stare on the Bostonian's face was an obvious 'yes', but there was still a look of confusion - and disgust- in his eyes.

"I'm going to try to give you a massage," Explained the Spycrab. "To help ease your muscles."

Scout frowned, practically curling into himself at the thought of stripping in front of the Spycrab. Despite the fact that the Spycrab had seen him naked a few times. That didn't change the Scout's attitude though.

"It'll help," The Spycrab promised. "It'll relax you and help you sleep better."  
There was still a lot of uneasiness in the Scout's expression. The Spycrab could tell the Scout wanted to be helped, but there was something keeping him from accepting his offer.

"O...ok." said the Scout, softly. "But turn your back! I don't want you lookin' at me!"

It was the Spycrab's turn to sigh, but he turned around quickly, hearing the Scout sit up and pull off his shirt. He saw the red article of clothing fly over him as the boy tossed it to the floor, and almost flew off the bed himself when the Scout flopped down on his stomach. The crab turned around in time to see the Scout grabbed his pillow and bury his face into it. Letting out a bit of a nervous whimper.

The Spy smiled. Scuttling up to the Scout, crawled up his arm and onto the runner's back.

"CRAP!" gasped the Scout. "That STILL feels frikkin' weird!"

"Scout..." began the Spycrab, again. "Why are you uncomfortable with me seeing you naked?"

The crab figured if he managed to get the Scout talking, that would allow the boy to calm down and relax.

"I thought you wanted to help me, not talk my ear off." The Scout spat.

The Spycrab walked slowly and gently up to the Scout's shoulders. Pressing his pointed crab feet into the soft skin, slowly and skillfully moving down and across the Scout's back. Feeling the tensed muscles beneath the flesh.

"Jeeze..." he felt the Scout shiver with each step.

"Why are you so ashamed about your body, Scout?" The Spy said, almost in a whispered. "There is nothing to be shy about."

"Yes there is." Scout whispered.

He focused on the Scout's shoulders, feeling the most tension there. The Spycrab was practically dancing slowly on the shoulder blades, eventually using his claws to very lightly pinch the skin. Hearing the Scout let out a surprised gasp.

"Why is that? Personally I think you have a very -"

"Don't even _think_ about finishing that sentence." Interrupted Scout.

"My apologies."

Scout let out a heavy sigh. "Wouldn't _you_ be though?"

"Be what?" asked the blue crab.

"Ashamed of your body?"

The Spycrab chuckled lightly. "My teammates have seen me in the shower many times, I am not ashamed."

"Well, good for you." retorted the Scout.

"So why are _you_ ashamed?"

The Scout didn't answer. The Spycrab chose not to push the issue and continued silently with his ministrations. Moving from the shoulders down the spine. Scuttling sideways to make each step count. He felt the Scout shift slightly, that must have felt good.

"Y-you've seen them...all of them...," Began the Scout. "All the guys out there...they're pretty strong...aren't they? Even the Heavy. He's fat, really fat, but...he's strong."

"Oui." nodded the Spycrab.

"An' the Engineer is short, but he's also still pretty strong..."

"And you are not?"

"That's right." The Scout said, sounding hurt. "I'm-I'm weak."

That explained why Scout had his mirror back in 2fort hidden behind his desk. The boy hated his body.

"I don't think you're weak."

Scout let out a groan. "Stop lying to me! You know I'm weak! Why else would you have stalked me all those times? Because I'm easy to kill!"

"I stalked you because you are fun to kill, it had nothing to do with how strong or how weak you were." explained the Spycrab.

He heard the Scout sigh, either out of frustration or out of enjoying the poor excuse of a massage.

"You've seen my body before...it's not like the guy's," continued the Scout. "it's just that everybody else seems to be all beefy and strong and awesome, but I'm all soft and flat and noodly…heck, I still have some baby fat on me!"

"You wouldn't be fast if you had a large, muscular physique."

"Yeah but...that's why I joined RED...," The Scout admitted. "I wanna get stronger, so I can take care of myself...an' help others...but...I'm still weak." The Scout gasped. "HEY! Keep it above the belt!"

The Spycrab remove the offending claws from the waistband, bringing it safely back into Scout's comfort zone. "Sorry." He moved back up the Scout's back, focusing again on the Scout's shoulders. Noticing the tension in the runner's muscles as eased away. Even earning a relaxed sigh from his -only- favorite RED.

"In a way, Scout, you are helping me," The Spycrab added. "I'm small, weak, slow, pretty much helpless. Without you...I would've been dead."

The Scout nodded slowly, resting his head on his pillow and closed his eyes. Sighing heavily. Ready to finally go to sleep.

"I think you are strong," The Spycrab smiled. "I...I _need_ you, Scout. To survive."

He stopped when he didn't get a response from the Scout. Figuring the Scout was fast asleep due to how heavy he was breathing and how peaceful he looked. It had been a while since the two of them had shared such a lengthy, meaningful conversation. It was nice. Without thinking, the Spycrab gently ran his claw though the Scout's hair. Then, he leaned up, faintly kissing the edge of the Scout's ear.

"Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite." The Spycrab whispered very softly into his ear.

'_I love you'_. If only he had the courage to say that.

"Spy?" The Scout whispered. '

The Spy froze, not knowing if the Scout felt him kiss his ear and he was going to be yelled out for doing so. "Yes?" He said softly.

"I don't hate you anymore."

There was a slight pause. The sound of the Scout's deep breathing was the only thing breaking the silence.

"The... feeling is mutual." answered the Spycrab.


	26. Going Soft

_I apologize for the long wait. It was a mixture of writer's block and disappearing Beta-Readers. _

_There might be some mistakes still, but thank you, Art1st4786, for looking this over for me._

* * *

**Chapter 26**- _Going soft_.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Demanded the BLU Scout.

The next weekend came a lot quicker then the Scout anticipated. He and his counterpart weren't able to meet up last week due to the snowstorm, but the weather finally became tolerable to go out again. While he wasn't exactly up to meeting up with his BLU counterpart again, having gone through three days without sleep, the Spycrab badgered him into going. Needless to say, the cursed BLU Spy won the battle. Again. As promised, when the afternoon rolled around, the Scout bundled up and snuck out while his teammates were settling down for lunch.

As predicted, the BLU Scout was waiting for them there in the agreed meeting area. He greeted both the Scout and Spy with a warm smile before it immediately faded away as the other Scout began yelling at the RED Scout about yesterday's fight. Honestly, the Scout was expecting his counterpart to be laughing about the new Spy's virginity.

"Wh-What if he had fallen off, huh? He could've gotten crushed, or-or, I dunno, **shot**!"

The Scout remained quiet, just standing still while the BLU Scout held the Spycrab protectively against him and paced around the Scout, disciplining him like an angry elementary school teacher. It was...very annoying from the RED Scout's point of view.

"Y'know, I didn't come here for you to hear you talk," The Scout sighed, leaning against the only sturdy wall of the remains of the old cabin. "If I wanted to be yelled at, I would've stayed back at my base and told the Soldier that Batman could beat Sun Tzu in a box cage match _any day_."

The BLU Scout stared at him with a mix of disgust and shock. The Spycrab remained silent, keeping his gaze glued forward as he sat in the palms of his former teammate's hands.

"Th-that's messed up." admitted the BLU Scout.

"No. What's messed up is that we've been out here for nearly an hour and you haven't said shit about the fact that that new Spy of yers is a freakin' virgin!"

As soon as Scout brought the subject up, the other Scout turned away from the RED. He gazed down at the crab in his hands and gently stroked the smooth surface of the crustacean. Scout raised an eyebrow to this, leaning to the side to get a better view of the expression on his counterpart's face. Yep, that was definitely jealousy he saw.

"Th-there's nothin' wrong with bein' a virgin."

"It is when you're a Spy. C'mon, you know the reputations those guys have. They're supposed to be lady-killers, not...40-year-old virgins!"

The BLU Scout glanced at him. "A-Actually, I th-think he's 30."

"**Not** the point!" growled the Scout. "He's a freakin' virgin! That's just pathetic!"

"_You're _a virgin," the BLU Scout pointed out.

"Oh ho! He got you there, Scout." teased the Spycrab.

The Scout let out a groan. Sudden it became very quiet. The two Scouts occasionally looked around the field from where they stood, waiting for the other to start a new topic for conversation - something they somehow got into despite the fact the Scout really wanted it to end so he could return back to the base.

Slowly, the Scout found himself staring at his counterpart. He had almost forgotten his equal wasn't a virgin, and therefore couldn't hear the Spycrab. It must be frustrating when a close friend has been cursed to take a completely different form, and you couldn't hear him for complicated circumstances. At the same time, Scout found it hard that this particular Scout had been with someone long enough to become intimate.

"Wh-what's wrong?" His counterpart's voice snapped him back to attention.

"Nothin'," lied Scout. "I'm just finding it hard to see you with a girl is all."

"Actually sh-she was a woman." corrected the BLU Scout.

Scout frowned a bit. "What's the difference? A girl's a girl, right?"

"Well, in my book, if a female is-is younger then you, th-th-then she's a girl," Began the other Scout. "And when she's older th-than you, she's a woman."

"Oh," Replied Scout, sounding interested. "So...you lost your virginity to a woman?"

"Yeah."

"Classy." commented the Spycrab. Although the BLU Scout didn't hear him, he still wanted to be part of the conversation.

"How old we talkin' here? Like...three years older than you, or...?"

The BLU Scout bit his lower lip nervously, yet at the same time, he seemed pleased about talking about it. "Um...twenty-four." He said meekly.

Scout's eyes widened. "Twelve years? How old are you?"

"T-tw-twenty-two," He answered. "G-gonna have a birthday in a few m-m-months."

"_Damn, he's older than me_." frowned the Scout as he narrowed his eyes. They suddenly flew wide open though when he did the math in his head. "Oh my god! How the hell did you bed a 46-year-old chick? Was-was she your cousin or aunt?"

"She was a prostitute." replied the BLU Scout, again, a bit too casually. Again.

The Scout's jaw dropped, even the Spycrab couldn't help but stare up at the BLU with shock and disbelief. Again the awkward silence returned, only the cold wind was the only thing that could be heard. The BLU Scout only stared back at the RED with a faint smile.

It took a while for the Scout to regain his composure. Eventually speaking again. "Do I...even want to know?"

"She was a gift for my 17th birthday!" announced the BLU Scout cheerfully. "My f-f-friends saved up th-the money for her."

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" Yelled Scout, sounding like he was on the brink of freaking out. "Ju-just shut up! I don't wanna hear anymore!"

"Ok."

Another pause. A very long and very awkward pause.

"Hey, um, is-is it alright if the Spy spends the rest of th-the day with me?" asked the BLU Scout.

"What?"

The other Scout held up the Spycrab. "Can he? Ju-ju-just till tomorrow! An-And then I'll return him."

Scout frowned. "He's not a book, man! An' besides, you can't exactly hear him, I can't imagine spending the day with him as bein'...y'know...productive."

"Oh come on, it's just f-f-fer one day, an-and besides, he's a BLU, he needs to be with **us**!"

"But none of ya can hear him! I'm the only one! As least I was...but I doubt that new Spy of yers would be interested in playin' Scrabble with a crab!"

"Please? He's my friend!" begged the BLU.

"Hell no!"

The Spycrab couldn't help but smile. This was practically a fantasy come true: two Scouts fighting over him. Of course it would be more enjoyable if he were human and the Scouts were fighting over which got to sleep him first. Still, this was as close to his fantasy as he was going to get.

"Scout," The crab spoke up. "It is...just for one day, what harm can be done?"

"But..."

The Spy smiled warmly at the RED. "It will give you time to spend with your team mates, you have been rather neglectful of them."

"But I..."

"And you will also be given your space, I can tell I have been...rather time consuming, so... consider this a bit of a 24-hour vacation, oui?"

Scout still didn't like the idea, it was evident by his facial expression that he didn't want to be apart from the crab. Although he was too proud to admit it himself. Perhaps he was spending too much time with the crab, but then again, had it been on the other foot, he would stick to the Spy like glue.

With a defeated sigh, he looked back at the BLU Scout.

"Just...just keep him away from that new Spy of yers, ok?"

His counterpart nodded with a thankful smile.

"Th-this will also get you used to him not being around...wh-wh-when he becomes human." The BLU added.

* * *

While he was tempted to punch the BLU Scout in the face for saying that before they left, Scout did his best to remain quiet. His counterpart was right though. If and when the Spycrab curse was lifted and the Spy became human again, things were going to get back to normal.

As he walked back to the RED base, Scout could already feel a tad lonely, or at least a bit lighter. Without the crab riding on his shoulder or in his hat, or even down his shirt, it made him feel naked. Which didn't help when he began to hug himself as he walked into the living quarters of the base, subconsciously hiding behind furniture and hustling across the rooms to the next.

"SCOUT!" He heard the Soldier yell on this way to the kitchen. "STOP ACTING NAKED!"

The Bostonian decided to take the Spycrab's advice. He was on his own and spending time in his room was just too boring without someone to talk too, and taking a shower to warm up from the bitter cold didn't help either.

It made him reflect back from a few days ago. While he was searching through his suitcases, Scout came upon an old pair of swim trucks that his mother packed him. Of course, it wasn't until he learned he was going to be stationed in the desert that the swim trucks were just not needed. Still, it became useful when he and the Spycrab began bathing together regularly. Which wasn't weird at all.

When neither one wanted to just soak in the hot water, Scout would wear his swim trunks in the shower and allow the crab to stand underneath him. It saved him the embarrassment of the cursed Spy starring up at his naked body and making lewd jokes about it. Although the Spycrab made perverted jokes all the time, even if the Scout was fully dressed. Needless to say, he was use to them, but he still overacted to them being told. Maybe he did that to make the Spy happy. Whenever he would, the crab would only smile happily at Scout.

During their last shower together, the two got on the topic of past girlfriends. Despite the fact the Spy didn't care for girls, that didn't stop him from dating a few before joining the BLU team. Scout even finished talking about his girlfriend from high school, finally getting the chance to continue from where he left off back at 2Fort.

_"She was a cheerleader!" Announced the Scout._

_The Spycrab let out a confused sound. "Baseball teams have cheerleaders?"_

_"Cheerleaders can be anywhere, man! Anyways, she was a Junior, which is awesome 'cuz I was a Freshman at the time! And, man, was she a pretty one! Long, flowing blond hair, deep blue eyes, nice legs, huge knockers! Oh man, she was perfect."_

_"So...why did you break up with her?" questioned the Spycrab, cautiously._

_Scout paused, holding completely still as he allowed the water to wash over him. After a few minutes the Scout bit his lower lip, glancing down at the Spycrab._

_"It's...it's kind of embarassin'." He admitted._

_"I won't tell. Nor will I judge you on it."_

_Scout pursed his lips slightly, letting out a muffled groan before speaking. "I...I over heard her friends...talkin' about...breakin' up with their boyfriends...because they were terrible kissers," Scout began. "And I...I...I never kissed a girl before, alright? I never got to kiss her! I really wanted to! But I couldn't!"_

_The crab looked up at him with sympathetic eyes. Non-verbally telling the Scout that he understood._

_"I broke up with her...because I was afraid she would think I'm a bad kisser...I didn't tell her that though..."_

_"What happened after that?"_

_"Oh man, I ruined her reputation BIG time! I guess when a Freshmen breaks up with a Junior, the entire student body misinterprets that as a sign that she might be bad in bed or somethin'. At least that's what I heard about her."_

_The Spycrab tried his hardest not to laugh, but the muffled snickering from the crab eventually caught up to the Scout. He began snickering too, thinking back on it, and soon enough they were both laughing. And the laughing only got louder when the Spycrab began to snort (somehow), which only added on to the hilarity._

"_Man, that was really gay._" thought the Scout, frowning to himself at the memory.

The rest of the day had been very unproductive. Aside from laying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling for hours upon end, Scout never got anything accomplished. He was tempted to finish up on his notes, but decided not to. Eventually, he forced himself to sit up, his eyes slowly wandering over to his desk. He pushed himself to his feet and shuffled over to the desk. He noticed that the Spycrab had organized his desk over the day when the Scout was fighting and the crab was left in his room.

He sat down at his desk and looked at the pictured the other RED Spy had drawn for him. Although it was a sketched pictured, Scout was almost convinced it was a photograph. The way the Spy had drawn Scout sitting on the bench with a small crab drawn in his lap.

It bothered him though. He wasn't sure why. He kept his attention glued to the small picture of a crab...a crab that was once human, and Scout was the only one who knew that.

There were eighteen men in Coldfront - sixteen if you want to get in an argument about what gender the Pyro is - and only one person knew what this small, intelligent blue crab was: A man, a Spy, a person.

_"You make me feel human."_

Scout felt himself slouch in his seat slightly, finally understanding what the Spy meant by that. Since day one, he never treated the Spycrab as anything else but an actual person, despite being a crab. Granted, he would carry the little critter around in his hands, but he didn't have much of a choice since the Spy wasn't used to his body yet. He would talk to the crab like a person, referring to him by name and asking for his advice and such. He allowed the cursed BLU to make his own decisions and, above all, not keep him locked in a tank like a common pet hermit crab.

"Damn," sighed the Scout. "I'm goin' soft."

* * *

_- BLU Base-_

Being with his old friend again brought back some old memories about his time as a human. It was advised when he first joined the BLU team to keep relationships with his teammates professional. Names were not allowed to be used, but that only made a pair of mercenaries closer. Despite this, he dropped his name and responded to his class name. It took a while to get use to it, but this was how things were handled in the TF Industries. His true self, the person he once was, sealed away and hidden behind a thin blue mask.

Of course, now _that_ other persona he had become was sealed away too in a small, pathetic crab body.

The BLU Scout held him tightly in his warm hands as he walked quickly though the base. As the Spycrab glanced up at the BLU, he could see the eagerness in his face that slightly confused him, but he had a feeling he would find out soon what the boy had planned. As they journeyed through the rooms, the Spycrab thought back to how he was going to communicate with the BLU Scout. The young man couldn't hear him, nor could any of his old friends - only that new Spy that replaced him could. But given how the man tried to kill the RED Scout he had grown quite fond of, he'd rather not even go in that direction.

Eventually the BLU Scout came to a stop, panting slightly but still sounding very happy. The Spycrab looked up, seeing the Scout had brought him to the Medic's office.

"_Oh, Scout, please tell me you are not going to try to convince Medic_."

It appeared the be this way. The BLU Scout didn't hesitate to push open the door into the office and stepped inside.

"Oh!" gasped the BLU Scout. "I'm-I'm s-s-sorry, I-I didn't mean to-"

The Spycrab blinked, finding it a bit ironic about thinking about the new Spy and finding him there in the Medic's office being checked on by the Medic. He was sitting down on a stool with two of the doctor's fingers jammed in his mouth, keeping the man's jaw open as the German was making an attempt to check on the Frenchman's missing tooth.

"Hello zhere, Scout," replied the Medic, not looking up from his work. He reached over to a tray next to him and claimed a small flashlight. "Do not worry, ve are almost done here. I'll be vith you in a moment."

The Spy glanced over at the BLU Scout and glared at the boy. The Scout immediately clamped his freehand over the crab, hiding him from the other Spy.

"You need to stop smoking." Announced the Medic to the Spy.

"Whaa?" replied the Spy, unable to speak properly with the Medic holding down his tongue with his gloved fingers.

"Zhe smoking...it iz irritating your gums," continued the doctor, eventually removing his hand from the man's jaws. "Your teeth could use a break from zhe nicotine as vell."

The Spy grumbled, rubbing the underside of his chin. He flinched slightly when the Medic held out his hand, looking up at the man with a confused look.

"Hand zhem over." ordered the doctor.

"Quoi?"

"Your cigarettes."

Frowning, the Spy reached into his jacket's pocket and pulled out several packages of cigarettes. He placed them into the Medic's hand spitefully.

"_It's been a while since I had a cigarette_." sighed the Spycrab.

"What am I suppose to do to pass the time?" The Spy demanded, angrily.

The Medic wasn't effected by the Spy's sudden mood swing, he merely tightened his grip on the boxes, crushing them in his fist. It made the Spy let out a pathetic whimper upon seeing this, watching the doctor toss them into a nearby trashcan.

"You rely on zhese for entertainment?"

"What else am I suppose to do till it eez time to battle again?" asked the Spy, sounding very irritated for having to repeat himself.

The Medic frowned. "So...you just sit zhere staring into blank space und smoke till you get tired?"

"Oui."

"You need a hobby," said the Medic, walking over to his medical cabinet with a sly grin. "How about another suppository? You seemed to enjoy zhat."

The Spy's eyes widened in horror. "Non! Non, I...I am good." He insisted.

The Medic let out a sigh, opening the cabinet anyway and pulled out a small box. "Here." He tossed it to the Spy, who caught it, looking at the label and raising a confused eyebrow.

"Toothpaste?"

"It vill help strengthen your teeth, und it vill also whiten them. Trust me, you _need_it."

The Spy gave the Medic a skeptical look. "I though you said you were not a dentist."

"I'm not," replied the Medic. "Zhat doesn't mean I can't carry dental equipment."

"That... does not make any sense."

"It doesn't haff too, _you_don't haff a hobby. I suggest cross-word puzzles though, zhat's alvays fun, ja?"

The Spy only rolled his eyes, turning around slowly and headed towards the door. He stopped and glared at the BLU Scout before leaving, letting out a snake-like hiss as he left. It was enough to make the young man shake slightly - he was terrified of that man. The Spycrab couldn't help but notice the man was walking very awkwardly.

It was a huge relief when it was just the Medic in the room. Scout calmed himself down and approached the German.

"So vhat can I help you with, Scout?" asked the Doctor.

Scout opened his hands, relieving the small blue crab in the palms of the BLU. The BLU Medic flinched, not expecting the BLU Scout to bring something like that back with him from the battlefield. What was even creepier was that the little crab was staring back at him. Was it smiling? Oh yeah, it was totally looking at him. In the eyes.

"Uh...Vhat is zhat?"

"It-it's a crab." replied Scout.

"Ja, I can see zhat, vhy is it here?"

"You are n-never gonna believe this!" The Scout set the crab down on the desk.

The Scout began telling his story about what he learned from the RED Scout. Leaving out the details about actually hearing it from the RED Scout. Only the important facts. The crab is the BLU Spy, the Spy is cursed, only virgins can hear it and so on.

The Spycrab could already tell the Medic wasn't going to believe it. Nobody who was told this did. Aside from that other RED Spy from the train station, Red. It was also the look on the Medic's face that told him he wasn't believing the Scout's story. Even when he sat down at his desk and took a closer look at the crab. He noted the deep blue shell with peach colored patches around it's eyes and mouth - like a mask a spy would wear, but in crab form.

"Scout." spoke the Medic.

"An-and then wh-wh-when he was at the Harvest, y'know, th-the area jus-just outside of 2-2-2Fort? Wh-when he was there, the Ghost of Zepheniah Mann appeared and-"

"Scout."

"And all this t-time he was right under our noses, bu-but he-he jumped onto the train an-and followed us here-"

"Scout."

"He-He's come back to us, Doc! And we gotta-"

"Miles!" The Medic had grabbed the young Scout by the arms, finally having to resort to addressing the kid by his real name to get his attention.

The BLU Scout blinked, looking very surprised at hearing his name be used for the first time in months. While it was against regulations to address each other by their real names, the Scout, Medic and Spy had became very close friends, enough to secretly reveal to each other their names. They all agreed to only call each other by their names when it was just them. Of course, when the Spy disappeared, that changed. Slowly, Scout- known as Miles- and the Medic were growing apart. This was the first time in a long, long time that his friend referred to him by name.

The Medic lowered his head, letting out a heavy and wounded sigh.

"Miles, please...please listen to yourself," He began. "Everything zhat you are saying, it does not make any sense. Do you know how crazy you sound right now?"

The BLU Scout remained quiet, granted it was true that story was a bit farfetched, but he had hoped the Medic would believe him.

"I know you miss Di... the Spy...I do too, but he is gone now. We haff a new Spy, und we both haff to move on..." continued the Medic. "Zhis story you told me...vas zhis a cry for attention?"

"N-no, it's true! I'm n-n-not lyi-"

"Miles, please!" Medic said sternly. The BLU flinched, which only made the Medic sigh again. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Don't tell anyone else zhis story. If you do...I'll haff to tell zhe Administrator. Und you vill be removed. I don't vant to lose another friend..."

The BLU Scout looked a bit hurt, but he nodded as a response. The Medic turned his attention to the crab on his desk, picking it up by one of it's legs and handed it to the BLU Scout.

"Now, return zhis thing back to vhere you found it, and clean yourself up for dinner."

"Ok."

The Medic turned the young BLU around and gave him a playful push to the door. The Spycrab looked up at Miles, expecting him to either be scared or disappointed. He was thankful to see his friend was still smiling, despite the fact his other friend didn't believe his story about the fate of their old Spy followed closely by the mild threat.

"I'm not giving up." The Scout whispered to the crab.

"Nor am I." replied the Spycrab.


	27. Feeling Alone

**Chapter 27**- _Feeling Alone_.

- _RED Base_-

The RED team was pretty surprised to see Scout eating dinner with them, but that quickly died away about ten minutes into the meal. Several members ate in the living room, which left Scout eating in the kitchen with the Medic and Heavy. It felt a little good to be hanging out with actual people for once - instead of a crab that only he could hear - but that didn't take away the empty feeling he had. That was probably hunger, though.

"Been sleeping better?" asked the Medic.

Scout nodded. It was that talk with the Spycrab days back that really took a huge weight off of his shoulders. It was also the massage the crab gave him; he really felt good after that. Needless to say, the Bostonian had been sleeping like a rock the rest of the week before meeting up with the BLU Scout again.

"Many windows have gone un-yelled at, Doktor!" announced the Heavy happily.

"Uh...ja, zhat...zhat is good to hear." The Medic said with a nod.

"What are you, his nurse?" asked the Scout, chuckling at his own joke.

"Only on weekends." the Heavy said, grinning.

"HEAVY!" gasped the Medic, slapping the man on the arm.

The Scout stared into space, ignoring the argument between the two REDs. He was wondering what the Spycrab was doing back at the BLU base. While it was nice being with his teammates again, he missed having someone to talk to who wouldn't laugh at everything he said or even judge him with his choices of topics.

Poking at his food with his fork, he realized how little in common he actually had with his fellow REDs. They were all grown men who either had sturdy careers or families waiting for them back home - sometimes even a combination of both.

The Solider was too paranoid and crazy to even have a decent conversation with. It was either about war, strategies, or made-up crap about his tour of duty. The Pyro...he had no idea what the Pyro was, so Scout didn't even bother trying to get to know that...man, woman, thing? Although, the firebug was pretty talented with cooking sweets and other desserts. A little philosophy he heard the Pyro mumble once stuck with the Scout every time he saw a cookie or a slice of cake in the fridge: "Stressed spelled backwards is Desserts". That's what everyone_ thought_ the Pyro said, at least.

Going down the list of the other REDs in his mind: Scout knew the Engineer used to have a wife, but he also learned- through the Sniper- that the Engineer lost his wife years ago. It was hard to talk to that man about family related subjects, or just subjects all together that weren't about machines or campfires. Still, he was a nice guy.

Both the Medic and Heavy watched over him almost like two dads - except one acted like woman sometimes, and it wasn't the Medic! While he didn't seem to understand them, mostly because they tended to speak in their own foreign languages, Scout only viewed them as annoyances. Yet, he could always expect them to be there for him when he was in trouble...which was most of the time. Maybe that was why he hung out with them.

The Demoman was always drunk, and his mother used to warn him about drunks: 'Stay the hell away from them', which was what he did - both on and off the field. On the plus side, he did manage to get that baseball he always wanted from recycling the empty bottles of scrumpy that the man would leave laying around the base sometimes.

The Spy and Sniper were...complicated. The RED Spy kept to himself, but he was social with the others every now and then. He would tease the Scout, but he was also very friendly with him. On good days, they were an excellent team when the Spy asked for his help, which was rare. Finally, Scout knew the Sniper had tried becoming friends with him many times. He would often talk to the Scout, but it always seemed to end with them arguing. They were different, very different. Scout had tried avoiding fighting with the man, but it never seemed to work; Sniper would push the Scout to the edge, almost like a challenge, and Scout would snap.

Now that the Scout thought of this about his teammates, why was the Spycrab so different? Why would he become so close to someone who was also so different from him? Or even with someone who he used to hate? He didn't hate him anymore, but they had been enemies at one point. They were complete opposites: The BLU Spy was sophisticated, calm and talented; the RED Scout was loud, cocky and impulsive. What the Spy had, the Scout didn't, whether it was charm, style, or manners. That BLU Spy was his...

Scout hissed, shaking his head and slamming the heels of his hands into the sides of his head. _"C'mon! It hasn't even been 24 hours! Get these gay thoughts outta yer head_!"

"Um...Can I ask you guys a question?" Scout asked the Medic and Heavy. Needing an excuse to get his mind focused on something other than the cursed Spy.

"Sure you can, Herr Scout," chirped the Medic.

"H-How long have you guys...been gay for each other?" asked the young RED. "_Ok, why did I just ask them that_?" So much for that plan.

The Medic and Heavy's eyes widened, blinking a few times to comprehend what the Scout just asked them. Soon enough, the Medic let out a nervous chuckle before breaking out into a loud and humored, yet somehow maniacal, laugh while the Heavy followed along, sounding a little awkward in doing so. Scout only sighed, expecting that as an answer, but kept quiet. He watched the two REDs laugh until they were crying and attracting unwanted attention from the others. It was almost like going to the mall with the embarrassing uncle who would laugh at everything.

The Medic finally calmed down, wiping away a tear before looking at the Scout. "Dear Scout, zhe Heavy und I are not gay for each other."

"But...yer always together. Like, all the time!" Scout pointed out. "_Why am I pushing the subject? I'm not interested in their sexual orientation_!" Good question. He didn't even know that 'sexual orientation' was part of his vocabulary.

"Ja, zhat's vhat friends do. Zhey hang out...all zhe time."

"Leetle Scout is so funny!" laughed the Heavy.

"Vhy would I be **vith** zhe Heavy, Herr Scout?" chuckled the Medic. "I'm a married man."

It was the Scout's turn to widen his eyes.

"You're married?"

"Da! So am I!" the Heavy said as he smiled happily.

Scout's jaw dropped. "YOU TOO?"

"I thought you knew, Scout," replied the Medic, smiling. "I mean, I wear a wedding ring and- oh!" The Medic held up his right hand, but realized nobody could see his ring through the glove. He promptly took off his glove and revealed a thin gold ring on his finger. "See?"

"Oh my God..." gaped the Scout. Slowly, he turned to the Heavy, looking at his monster sized hands, but spotted no ring. "What about you? I don't see a freakin' ring."

The Heavy shrugged. "Ring would only make shooting leetle baby BLUs difficult," he began. "Tiny ring big enough for tiny wife to wear as bracelet!"

"Whaaaat?"

With a smile, the Heavy reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny black and white picture and handed it to the Scout. The boy took it and looked at it. The photograph was of the Heavy, practically taking up the whole picture, but next to him was a tiny Asian woman. She only reached up to the Heavy's bulging stomach with her black hair pulled back into a bun. She was slightly chubby, but looked very cute from the Scout's point of view. Like the Heavy said, there was a large bracelet on her wrist - the wedding ring Heavy spoke of. Scout couldn't help but look up at the Heavy with a jealous, yet impressed glare. He wondered what the hell this woman saw in the large Russian.

"Is...is she Chinese?" Scout asked.

"Da!"

"How the hell did you meet her?"

"Tiny Wife is Mail-Order Bride."

Scout's jaw dropped again. That explained so much. Yet, why hadn't he known this before? Oh yeah, ever since the Spycrab showed up, he'd been a little distant from his teammates. The Heavy slowly reached out and reclaimed the photo from the frozen-in-shock Bostonian.

"Oh my God." Was all the Scout could say after a while.

The Medic and Heavy chuckled, equally amused by the runner's reaction to knowing their marital status. After a while, the Scout finally allowed the news to sink in, relaxing finally as he recomposed himself.

"Still...vhat make you think we were...y-you know...zhat...vay?" asked the Medic cautiously.

"I...really don't know," Scout answered honestly, letting out a guilty sigh. "Sorry 'bout that, fellas."

"No feelings vere harmed, Herr Scout."

A familiar voice chimed in. "Oy. You tryin' to make the Medic 'n 'eavy look like fruits now?" Cue the Sniper.

Scout looked over his shoulder, spotting the rugged man making his way into the kitchen and clearly overhearing the whole conversation. He probably even stood near the corner of the hallway to listen in before making his appearance. It was the usual teasing tone in the man's voice that rubbed Scout the wrong way, just the same way it did before the original BLU Spy disappeared and returned cursed.

"That was a misunderstandin', Sniper!" Scout said defensively. "And I said I was sorry! Sheesh!"

"I know, I'm jus' kiddin' wit' ya." There was a sudden tense atmosphere when the Sniper took a seat next to the Scout. "This is new, though. 'aven't seen you out of yer room in a while." Scout didn't reply.

"Is good, no?" The Heavy answered for him instead. "Is fun to see leetle Scout in open again!"

"Uh...right," Sniper replied dryly, seeming very displeased with the large Russian opening his mouth.

That was the Medic and Heavy's cue to leave. The German doctor stood up and collected everyone's empty plates, turning and making his way over to the sink. The Heavy following closely behind, as usual, leaving just the Scout and Sniper at the table. This time, it was like running into an old elementary school friend that you haven't seen in years and have absolutely nothing in common with anymore. There was an awkward silence that make the atmosphere even more tense.

The Sniper popped his lips, breaking the silence before Scout finally spoke up.

"How's Engie?" asked Scout.

"Who?" replied the Sniper.

"The Engineer, you know, the Texan in a hard hat?"

"Oh, Truckie? He's fine, been keepin' the others off me back." Another pause. "So, what 'ave you been up to?"

"Nothin'," answered Scout.

"Jus' nothin'?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"Uh-huh."

The Sniper scoffed. "That's a lie."

Scout finally looked at the Sniper with very annoyed look. "And how do you freakin' know **that**?" he demanded. "You bugged my room or somethin'?"

The Sniper looked very satisfied with Scout's reaction. "You just don't sit in yer room and do nothin'," began the Australian. "Clearly, you 'ave been doin'...somethin' in there. Anything...naughty, by chance?"

"_Doing research on curses to turn a crab back into a man_," Scout thought to himself. "Hell no! That's freakin' sick, man!"

A deep, rather evil-like laugh was the Sniper's response. "I'm jus' yankin' yer leg there, Mate," he said. "If it's nothin' bad, then why are you plum nervous 'bout tellin' me?"

Scout pursed his lips a bit, leaning his arm against the table as he rested the side of his face into the palm of his hand. He stared into blank space. Just avoiding the question wasn't going to bring tomorrow any closer.

"I've just been doin' some thinkin' is all," answered Scout.

"What kind of thinking?"

"I don't want to talk about it!" replied Scout sternly in a low tone.

The Sniper frowned. "I think I deserve to know, Scout," he said sternly. "You almost ruined my career wokin' 'ere."

Scout quickly turned his head towards the man. "I thought you said that was over now."

It was the Sniper's turn to remain quiet, keeping his eyes glued on the Bostonian with a disappointed glance. Scout let out a sigh. He knew Sniper wasn't going to drop the subject or give him any peace about it either. Maybe he would understand, or even know something that was bothering the Scout? There was only one way to find out, but he had a feeling he was going to regret it.

Scout fidgeted in his seat, trying to find the right words to state what was on his mind. It was kind of obvious now that he missed the Spycrab - at least to the Scout it was. The other REDs remained unaware that the little blue crab the runner kept in his room was really the original BLU Spy. By that time, the crab had also become a very good and trusted friend - he proved that multiple times on and off the field. It was a shame Scout was only able to admit this inside his mind.

He even found it a bit...painful...to be away from the Spycrab - if it was possible to have feelings for a crab. Then again, that crustacean was technically a man, only with a small little aquatic creature's body at the moment. At that moment, Scout was grinding his teeth at what was possibly going on at the BLU base, especially since the Spycrab was in the care of his counterpart, which only made things worse in the Scout's head.

"Is it...is it possible to be straight, but like someone of the same gender?" Scout asked, sounding almost like a curious little boy.

Sniper perked up a bit at the question, a very faint smirk appeared on his face.

"You mean **LIKE** like?" he asked.

"Kinda..." admitted Scout, casually.

Sniper leaned in closer, making the Scout feel even more uncomfortable then he already was. "Does our little Scout 'ave the 'hots' for someone then?"

"Shut up!" Scout hissed angrily. "That's not what I freakin' said!"

That was a dead giveaway that he was lying, and he knew that Sniper knew. Scout let out a heavy huff, raising an eyebrow slightly at that look in the Sniper's eyes, despite the fact he couldn't even see the man's eyes because of his tinted glasses. Still, he was able to see that look that was very foreign to him. Was that a dreamy sigh he just heard?

"That would explain the defensive nature you 'ave, along with that li'l stunt you pulled back at 2Fort," Sniper asked. "Who's the lucky bloke? Do I know 'im?"

"_Lucky guy?"_Scout cringed; it was just getting creepy now. "Uh..." He thought about if Sniper was familiar with the BLU Spy. They had the same rivalry as any Sniper and Spy did. When the Spy wasn't able to attack Scout, he would go for the Sniper. There was even some times when he heard the Sniper complain about the BLU Spy, so that was a definite 'yes.' "You could say...you know him VERY well."

The smile on the Sniper's face grew, almost as if to ask the Scout to explain more, which Scout did now that it was out in the open.

"It's kind of complicated," That was a cliché explanation. "I hated his guts at first. Hell, I even wanted him dead at one point! But...something kind of came up and I got to know him a little better."

"Really?" confirmed the Sniper with a light nod.

"Yeah. He listens to me and waits till I'm finished talkin' before he responds," continued Scout. He was ashamed to admit he almost felt like he was talking about a girl he was crushing on, yet he found it hard to stop once he got started talking about it. "He's even risking his own life to watch over me." There was a slight pause as he remembered from a week ago about how reluctant the Spycrab was with Scout doing research to find another cure for him. "He's even risking his future to make sure **I'm** happy and healthy, if that makes any sense."

The smile on the Sniper suddenly faded away, turning into a disappointed frown.

"Oh."

Scout looked at the Sniper. "You know who I'm talkin' about?"

"No idea," replied the Sniper dryly, almost with an angry tone. He suddenly stood up and pushed in his chair. "I'll...see you around."

And with that, Sniper left, finally taking away the tense atmosphere that was bothering the Bostonian for the longest time. He let out a loud, relieved sigh when he was alone. When the Sniper left, Scout looked around. He noticed that everyone else had packed up and headed off into their rooms for the night. It was just the Scout in the middle of an empty kitchen with just the lamp over the table as the only source of light. With no one else to talk to, he let out a lonely sigh and headed off to bed himself.

* * *

-_BLU Base_-

The Spycrab was beginning to think it was a bad idea taking the BLU Scout's offer to spend the day with his old teammates. Communication was definitely a problem, seeing how each and every member of the BLU team has had sex. Ergo, they could not hear him. Well, not everyone; there still was that BLU Spy who replaced him. It was still hard to believe someone as cold and cruel at that man was as pure as a naïve bride on her wedding day. That still surprised the Spycrab. A very cruel form of irony.

After trying to explain what happened to the Medic, the BLU Scout decided not to even bother telling the others. He knew the Medic wouldn't hesitate to turn him over to the Administrator for insane actions, or whatever punishment was best suited for accusations that a blue colored crab was really a former BLU employee cursed to look like a crab. That sounded very sane, indeed.

Instead, the BLU Scout remained in his room for the rest of the day catching the Spycrab up on what his old friends on the BLU team had been up to. Not being able to ask questions himself or even add his own impute on it, the Spycrab just sat there on his friend's pillow while the BLU Scout just talked and talked and talked.

"I th-think Soldier's been over doin' it with th-the haircuts. He's pretty much bald now and he won't take his helmet off anymore."

The RED Scout didn't even talk this much when he was hot on a subject. He would pause every now and then between sentences to get the Spycrab's opinion on things. He could understand with the BLU Scout, however, since the young man couldn't hear him. Still, it was a little bothersome not being able to jump in on the conversation.

"That really pissed the Medic off and..."

It was hard trying to look impressed - considering if crabs could look impressed at times. At that point, the BLU Scout was just guessing that the Spycrab was paying close attention and just continued on. He only paused to either gather his thoughts or to breathe.

"I accidentally walked in on th-the Medic once. I swear to you, he-he was bench pressin' the Sniper! Or...was it the other way around...?"

The Spycrab was beginning to wonder what the RED Scout was up to. The curiosity was tearing at him the more he thought about it. The Scout had a tendency to get into trouble at times - even with his own teammates - and if the RED Medic or Heavy wasn't there to help him out, then _he_would. With his favorite little RED alone there without him, well, that just made him shift uncomfortably in the BLU Scout's pillow.

"The Pyro took over kitchen duties as well. The guy likes keepin' the kitchen clean. It took us a wh-while though to convince him...uh...her...? We had to convince the Pyro th- that you don't use a flamethrower to clean th-things..."

The RED Sniper also popped into his mind as well. He knew how that man was trying to get close with the Scout, but there was that look in the Aussie's eyes that told the Spy he was after something more. That added even more weight to his insecurities.

"Pyro looks funny wearin' an apron..."

If the Spycrab's curse was lifted, would he always feel this insecure? He was unable to hold still while wondering if the Scout was alright back at the RED base. Even though he was among his BLU friends again , he felt like a fish out of water – and he wasn't thinking that to be clever. Would he risk losing the RED Scout's friendship and trust all over again by becoming human?

Things were becoming a problem. If he remained a crab, he would be able to stay by the Scout's side and continue living in a future-less fantasy where he was happy and the Scout accepted him. However, if the curse was lifted and he was a human, he could take back his place among the BLUs and go back to the way things were, though most like becoming enemies with the Scout again. If he slipped back to the boy hating him again, all those months spent with the RED would be for nothing.

As a crab, he has the Scout, but loses his friends, future and career. As a human, he has his friends, future and career, but loses the Scout. Then again, did Scout even know how he felt about him? And did Scout feel the same way?

His train of thought was interrupted when there was a knock on the door. Finally, the BLU Scout stopped talking. The boy pushed himself off of the bed and walked over to answer the door. The Spycrab remained still, but managed to catch a glimpse of another familiar face.

"Oh, hey, S-S-Snipes!" the BLU Scout greeted.

"'ello, Scout," the BLU Sniper greeted back. "What are you doin' in yer room? Yer usually pesterin' the Medic by now."

"I'm pretty beat tonight. I'm ju-just takin' it easy," lied the BLU.

"An' avoidin' that new Spy of ours too, ain't ya?" added the Sniper.

"Yeah, you got me."

The Sniper laughed. "Ah, I know how ya feel. That man's a pain the neck!"

"And that's puttin' it mildly."

"Well, whaddya know, yer speech is getting' smoother. You must be feelin' pretty secure right now." The Sniper smiled slightly, crossing his arms to relax against the door frame.

"Y-you could say that." Almost by habit, the BLU Scout moved to the side to allow the Sniper to look in his room. He almost forgot that their old teammate was still a cursed crab at the moment.

The Sniper peered in, immediately spotting the blue crab that was snuggled on the Scout's pillow. His eyes shot wide open. He had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't imaging a crab there.

"What the bloody 'ell?" He walked in to get a closer look. Yep, it was a crab alright. "Wh-where did this little bugger come from?"

Scout cringed, not exactly sure if he should even bother trying to explain to the Sniper what he knew. He decided to take the safe way out by lying.

"Uh...ou-ou-outside!" His voice cracked a bit.

The Sniper raised an eyebrow, but kept his eyes glued to the little crab. He knelt down beside the bed, now having a staring contest with it.

"In _this _weather?"

"Th-that's why it's blue?"

"Oh! That's understandable." The BLU Scout was lucky the Sniper didn't have a lot of knowledge on marine creatures or he'd be screwed. "Is it tame?"

The Sniper brought up a finger and reluctantly poked the surface of the crab. The Spycrab flinched, not exactly happy with being touched like it was contaminated or an alien. He was so tempted to pinch the Australian's finger with his claws right now. No, he had to behave himself to avoid being killed or worse, cooked and served with a side of fries!

"Hmm, seems friendly enough, is she your pet?"

"SHE?" The Spycrab glared at the Sniper angrily.

The BLU Scout blinked. "Uh...yeah!" his voice cracked again. "You know...she's blue...and we-we-we're BLU, so...y-yeah, mascot material, am I right?"

The Sniper laughed, carefully scooping the crab into his hands to see if it would tolerate being held. The Spycrab was trying to control how angry he was at being treated like a pet...a FEMALE pet!

"Aww, now ain't you a li'l cutie!" the Sniper cooed.

"_Patience, Spy, remember your karma_." the Spycrab thought to himself.

The BLU Scout bounced a bit, looking very nervous at the moment. He hoped the Sniper would just think he was joking. If the Spycrab was introduced to the rest of the team as a possible mascot (a female mascot, oh gosh!), then the Medic would find out, most likely throwing the crab out into the cold where he would surly die within a minute.

The Sniper paused, looking over his shoulder at the movement passing the Scout's door.

"Oy!" he called out. "'ey, Spy! C'mere!"

Both the BLU Scout and Spycrab's eyes shot wide open when they saw the other BLU Spy, who paused, let out an annoyed growl and reluctantly took a few steps back near the door when the Sniper called to him.

"I do not want to 'ear another joke about kangaroos or crocodiles." the Spy groaned.

"Naw, it ain't that! Did you see the Scout's new pet?" He held out the Spycrab for the Spy to see.

Almost immediately, the other Spy's eyes widened as he let out a surprised yell. The color drained from what skin could be seen on his face as he retreated backwards against the opposite wall in sheer terror.

"WHAT IZ ZHAT THING DOING 'ERE?" he demanded, his voice very shaky as he let out little nervous whimpers.

The Sniper blinked, unable to believe what he was seeing. Their newest recruit - a cruel and uncaring man - afraid of a little blue colored crab?

"Uh...there somethin' you not tellin' me, mate?" he asked.

The Spycrab remained quiet, not knowing if speaking to the terrified man was a wise choice at the moment. He merely tried to act as crab-like as possible in the Aussie's hands.

"Thing...attacked...days ago!" The man was shivering by this time, practically losing his strength in his legs as he slid down the wall to the floor.

"_Pathetic_," thought the Spycrab, although he doubted he would act any different if he was attacked by a talking crab.

"I can't understand you, Spook, yer not makin' any sense," sighed the Sniper. "It's just a bloomin' female crab."

"Actually, it iz more of a cross-breed of a Cancer Bellianus and a Callinectes Sapidus. Zhat would explain zee blue color and zee carapace texture. And it iz a **male** crab; the size of zee claws are a dead giveaway." the Spy explained quickly.

Silence. Both the Sniper and the BLU Scout, along with the Spycrab, looked at the Spy as if he grew another head. Neither knew how to respond to that.

"_Great, now I have a breed_." thought the Spycrab as he rolled his eyes.

"Uh..." began the Sniper, "how-how did you know that?"

"Because, unlike you, I READ!" The Spy's usual angry attitude was slowly returning as he gained back his footing.

The Sniper frowned, annoyed by the Spy's sudden mood swing and the insult. "Oh, well excuse me for not brushin' up on my knowledge of marine biology on a regular basis!"

The BLU Scout took that as an opportunity to swoop in and reclaim the Spycrab. He hid behind the Sniper as he held the crab against his chest protectively. The other Spy ignored the Sniper, now focusing his attention on the Scout. He narrowed his eyes at the young man.

"I should 'ave known," he growled, grinding his teeth together. "You 'ave been nothing but a thorn in my- YEEE!" He jumped back with that frightened look on his face again when the Spycrab looked at him simply.

"'ey! Just leave the kid alone!" The Sniper pushed the Spy back even more. "He ain't yours to bully!"

The Spy let out a loud huff, looking at the Sniper before looking back at the Scout with a hateful glance. "If zhat thing comes near me again..." He couldn't find the right words to finish his sentence, just letting out an immature huff before walking away. He wasn't too far before he looked over his shoulders at the Spycrab again before he quickened his pace into a run, wanting to get out of there as fast as he could.

"What's 'is problem?" asked Sniper, sneering slightly.

"I-I-I dunno," answered the BLU Scout.

The Spycrab blinked, a little smirk appearing on his face with what he just witnessed. "_So...the Spy fears me? Scout could use this to his advantage."_

* * *

_I actually did research for breeds of crabs. And there's a certain crab known as a 'Ghost Crab' which I thought was funny. :D_

_Thanks for reading!_


	28. Rocket Waltz

_How long has it been? A month? Aw man, I'm sorry for keeping everyone waiting. I hope this - pretty long- chapter was worth the wait._

* * *

**Chapter 28**- _Rocket Waltz_

The Scout thought the next day would never come. He was the first one to get suited up and ready for the upcoming battle at least four hours earlier than everyone else - which surprised everyone when they came in to line up for battle. The Soldier was the only one impressed.

"That's what I want to see in all of you!" he said to the other REDs. "Up BEFORE the crack of dawn, not AT or AFTER, you lazy bunch of Maggots!"

While the Soldier went on a long explanation of the improvement he wanted to see in everyone, Scout just remained quiet. He waited for the Administrator to call out the battle so he could get the Spycrab back. By that time, he was willing to admit that he was lonely without the cursed Spy. While he did have a fun time learning from the Heavy and Medic that they were really married to women and not each other, he just wanted to be with his blue crabby friend again.

"Hey, Scout?" Scout jumped a bit, jerking around to see it was the Engineer.

"Sheesh, Hard-hat, don't sneak up on me like that!" The fact that that rhymed was sheer coincidence.

"Sorry 'bout that, lil' fella," the Texan apologized. "Can I have a word with you fer a sec?"

"If this is about the sink bein' clogged... it wasn't me."

"Oh don' worry, it ain't nothin' bad. It's just- wait...that was _you_?"

"Hey, I just said it wasn't me. It must've been...someone else...who _wasn't_me."

The Engineer didn't look convinced. He decided to drop the subject. That wasn't what he wanted to talk to the Scout about anyway. He gently took hold of the Bostonian's arm and led him over to a corner where nobody could hear them.

"Did you and the Sniper get into a fight last night?" he asked. Scout blinked.

"Uh...what?"

"When I talked to the Sniper this mornin', he seemed...pretty upset. He even snapped at me for the first time since I met him," explained the Engineer. "Did something' happen?"

"Not that _I_know of," Scout shrugged. "We were just talkin' and he got really happy one minute, then he got really pissed off the next." The Engineer tipped up his hard hat a bit to scratch his head with a confused look. Of course, the Scout was only guessing the Texan was confused; it would have been easier to tell if the man didn't wear goggles all the time.

"Well...what were you two talkin' about?"

Scout froze. He had a feeling the Engineer was going to ask that. He had already spilled his guts to the Sniper about his supposed 'crush' towards another man. If he told the Engineer, would that spread to the others? Then he'd be the team's next victim for ridicule. He quickly came up with a believable excuse.

"If abbreviations work in Scrabble."

Another pause. The fact that the Engineer didn't speak up yet was probably a sign that he was seriously believing Scout's little fib.

"THEY **DON'T**, MAN!" Scout growled. "They just don't!"

"Are you pullin' my leg?" asked the Engineer, sounding pretty amused.

"Trust me, Engie, Australians take their Scrabble games VERY seriously," Scout said, oddly in a very convincing tone as well.

"Well...alright. As long as it was nothin' too serious, I believe you, Scout."

After giving the Scout an assuring pat on the back, the Engineer slowly turned around and made his way back to the group. Scout let out a relieved sigh before walking over himself, knowing the battle was going to begin soon.

* * *

-_1 hour later_-

Something was different; the day's fight should've started at least half an hour ago, and yet they were still standing around waiting for the locks to be deactivated and the order to attack. Scout's legs were getting tired and he ended up sitting on the ground to give them a rest. He was almost convinced if he did, the Administrator would speak up and call the beginning of the battle. She didn't, however, which was a relief to the young Runner.

"Is today Saturday?" he heard one of the REDs ask.

"No, it's Monday," another answered. "But even at that, she's not this late."

"I'm bored!" complained yet another RED.

Scout's leg twitched with anticipation. At the moment, all the felt like doing was running, which was torture due to being cooped inside with the rest of the RED team.

He looked over his shoulders to see what said RED team was doing at the moment. The Soldier was the only one remaining in position, almost like he was a cutout. When he brought up a hand to scratch underneath his nose, it proved he wasn't one. A few of the other REDs were either just sitting down to rest their legs like Scout was doing or just doing random things to entertain themselves - from checking the ammunition in their weapons, going over strategy plans or making bets on how many BLUs they were going to kill when the Administrator finally figured out she was behind schedule.

Maybe it was a test of patience. Of course, the Scout counted out that possibility. Even the Administrator herself wasn't _that_patient. Still, it was driving the runner nuts with the amount of time they had been waiting for. There had to be a reason.

It also got Scout thinking if the BLU team was having the same trouble. Were they just standing around, waiting like the REDs were? Not knowing the answers to his own questions was just making the Scout more frustrated then he already was. One way or another, he was going to find a way to get the Spycrab back. Things were just too boring without him.

"Scout?"

Scout blinked, finally noticing that the Sniper had approached him. He was just too busy thinking about unimportant things at the time to notice.

"May I 'ave a word with you?" Sniper asked cautiously. This got the Scout even more curious. He jumped to his feet and faced the Australian.

"Yeah, what's up?"

The Sniper lowered his head, as if struggling to say what was on his mind. He finally looked at the Scout after a while.

"Listen...about what we talked about last night..." Scout froze, a very faint blush appearing on his face. He still couldn't believe he had told Sniper what he said last night. He could've lied, but _no_, he had to tell his teammate THAT. "I...I just feel there's something I need tell you...I-"

A high pitch screech in the air cut off the last few words Sniper said. Scout didn't have time to ask what he said due to seconds later there being an explosion right outside their base. Shaking the building in the process, knocking most of the REDs off their feet in surprise. Scout lost his footing a bit, falling forward into the Sniper, who caught him. He clamped his arms around the Scout's skinny frame.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" yelled the Soldier. "Get off yer candy-asses, pick up a weapon and send these BLUberries to **Hell**!"

It took a few seconds for the Scout to realize what position he was in. His eyes widened slightly as he pulled back from the Sniper, shoving the man to give him his needed space to compose himself. Neither one said a word, just exchanged nervous looks before they grabbed their weapons and followed after the Soldier as he went on a rampage.

"_That was awkward_." thought Scout.

* * *

Despite the hour of waiting, the battle seemed to commence like it did any other day, falling into a steady stream of yelling, cursing, crying and a lot of shooting and dying - which was a good thing, but Scout was more focused on staying alive and finding his counterpart. Hopefully, he would have the Spycrab with him, which he would then return to the base in one piece, then return to the endless bloodbath.

Easy.

Of course, it _would've_ been easier if every BLU member who spotted him didn't try to kill him. Only two minutes out on the field, Scout was immediately sent to respawn by a well placed sticky bomb by the BLU Demoman.

"CRAP!"

When he emerged from respawn, he gave it another shot. This time staying aware of his surroundings so he wouldn't fall victim to another trap. Maybe even take down a few BLUs that stood in his way. Scout didn't want this day to be a repeat of 2Fort.

Motion caught his attention from the corners of his eyes. It was another one of the BLU Demoman's bombs bouncing its way towards him.

"_Not this time_," Scout pulled out his metal bat. He swung it with all his might to send the projectile back towards the BLU Scotsman.

He was also extremely thankful that the bomb didn't explode on contact as well. Grinning smugly as he watched the explosive capsule fly over towards the BLU. The Demoman let out a scream, turning around to run away just before his own explosive blew up where he originally stood. He didn't even bother to stop when it was safe.

"Yeah, you BETTER run!" Scout laughed, feeling pretty good about himself right then.

The loud screech of an incoming missile snapped him back to attention. He continued his trek across the battlefield in search of the BLU Scout. He quickly switched his bat for his scatter gun, easily shooting down a BLU Medic that was following after a BLU Heavy when they crossed Scout's path. The large Russian turned around when he heard the Medic's cry, letting out a loud roar of anger as he then ran after the Scout.

"Crap! Bad idea!" Scout cried, not expecting the BLU Heavy to notice that he took out his buddy.

The BLU Heavy let out another battle cry, easily drowned out by the loud whirling of his gun as the enemy Heavy unleashed a storm of bullets on the small RED. Scout bit down on his lower lip as he picked up his pace. He ran and dodged the best he could, narrowly avoiding the bullets by the skin of his teeth. He was thrown off guard when a bullet flew past his face, grazing his cheek in the process.

As they neared a corner of a rock structure, Scout immediately leapt to the side, knowing it wasn't going to buy him much time, but it would keep him safe momentarily. He wasn't fast enough. Scout let out a loud cry of pain as a bullet hit him in the leg, letting another pained cry as he landed on his side in the snow. He whimpered as he clung to his bleeding leg, snapping back to attention when he heard the footsteps of the Heavy approaching.

There wasn't much Scout could do at the moment. With his leg injured, running away was out of the question. Desperately, he tried to crawl away, not exactly getting far with the extreme amount of pain from the bullet wound. His whimpers got even louder and more pathetic as the Heavy drew closer. He was as good as dead.

Without warning, a pair of hands grabbed the Scout's arms and pulled him to his feet. A hand was cupped over the boy's mouth before he could scream as he was pulled to the opposite side of the rock formation.

"Keep quiet, boy."

Scout blinked; he recognized that voice: it was the RED Spy that worked with him. Thank God for that, too. The Bostonian was ready to shit a brick if it was the other BLU Spy manhandling him.

The RED Spy pulled the Scout out of view of the BLU Heavy. He finally took off his cloak when the cost was clear. His usual serious demeanor faded when he saw the situation Scout was in. He became gentler as he carefully sat the boy down to get a better look at the wound on the boy's leg.

"That was a close call, Scout," the Frenchman noted, cautiously pressing his hand against Scout's leg to stop the bleeding.

"OW!" Scout hissed, shoving the Spy's hand off his leg. "DON'T TOUCH IT!"

"Psh! What a whiner," the Spy huffed, looking amused. "Do you need 'elp?"

"No, I can get by just fine with runnin' around with a bullet jammed in my leg," Scout replied sarcastically.

"Well, if you insist that you are alright," The spy replied equally as sarcastically as he got up to walk away.

"WAIT!" Scout grabbed the Spy's arm before he could get away. "I was bein' ironic, man! I need the Medic! Actually, I don't care who you call: the Medic, 911, the Paramedics, the SWAT team, the surgeons, my mom! Wait..." He narrowed his eyes at the Spy. "You stay away from my mom."

"Ok, just say calm, Petite," The RED Spy chuckled slightly. He stood up, looking around for their team's Medic. He had to duck from the debris that was kicked up from another misaligned missile from a Solider.

Scout let out a hiss at the pain from his leg. He pulled it closer against his chest as he gripped his hands around the wound. It had been awhile since he'd felt that much pain. The Spycrab had been doing his job of keeping Scout safe and uninjured for the past few weeks.

"MEDIC!" the Spy called out. No answer. "MEDI-"

The Spy was cut off by a loud gunshot, which made the Scout flinch. When he opened his eyes, he saw the RED Spy standing there with a blank face. Before Scout could even call out to his teammate, the man suddenly collapsed into the snow. He had a deep bullet hole gouged into the back of his head, exiting through his forehead.

"AH SHIT!" Scout gasped, reluctantly looking up to spot the BLU Sniper, who was reloading his gun and aiming at him next.

Without thinking, Scout pushed himself out of the bullet's way with his good foot. He didn't get too far, though. He flopped into the snow like a fish out of water. The BLU Sniper sneered, loading another bullet as he got a little closer. Another shot, another miss. That was getting irritating to the Australian. Why wouldn't they just hold still to die these days?

As the BLU drew closer, he finally noticed why the RED Scout wasn't just getting up to run away from him. That would've made things easier.

"Aww, injured, are we?" he asked the RED with an evil grin. "There's only one thing to do with a wounded animal."

Before he could even take aim again, there was another screech in the air, catching both the Sniper and Scout's attention. Turning towards the sound was their first mistake, spotting a misaligned missile from one of the Soldier's rocket launchers. By that time, everyone who was not a soldier was probably thinking what the hell was going on with the missiles. It was probably a 'base thing' seeing how the BLU Soldier struck first and the RED Soldier was trying to get revenge with the same weapon. At least that's what the Scout was thinking as he saw the missiles heading towards them in slow motion.

Actually, everything was moving slowly, including him and the BLU Sniper. Too bad Scout wasn't moving at normal speed or not having an injured leg that would otherwise slow him down. That was probably the adrenaline rush the Medic talked about that one time Scout wasn't paying attention.

Desperate to stay alive, Scout scrambled to his feet, cringing in pain as he made his way out of the missile's line of fire. He had a very pathetic mix of limping and hopping, switching to crawling when he would lose his balance at the last minute before impact. The BLU Sniper was, otherwise, too shocked to move, staring blankly at the incoming missile with that 'deer in the headlights' look on his face while the Scout was making his getaway.

Finally, time caught up with him with things moving at their normal pace as the missile exploded where the BLU Sniper stood, taking the Australian down with it. The force of the explosion knocked Scout off his feet, slamming him up against the rock wall and eliciting a pained cry from him as he fell back onto the snowy ground. Scout hissed as he held his hand against the side of his head, feeling the most pain there. Well, at least the sting from the bullet wound was gone, overpowered by an excruciating throbbing on his head.

Reluctantly, Scout pulled his hand away from his temple, looking at his fingers. Yep, that red stuff on his hand was blood. It didn't help that his vision was getting a little fuzzy and he was feeling like he might pass out, which was bad!

"Stay awake," Scout told himself, feeling blood trailing from the wound on his head. "Stay...awake…"

He lost consciousness.

* * *

It was an incredibly odd sensation he was feeling at the moment. At first he was cold due to the snow, but then that sensation changed to a numbing warmth. Scout cringed, praying to whatever all-mighty being there was that he didn't wet himself - because that would be gross and embarrassing.

Very reluctantly, Scout opened his eyes to see the damage. His eyes flew open when he realized he wasn't face in down in the snow. Instead, he was sitting upright in...the bathtub?

"_What the-? D-didn't I fall face down in my own blood_?"

That would explain the warm feeling. Being in a tub full of hot water often does that. Scout frowned, not exactly expecting to be in the bathroom after almost dying on the field from a leg and head wound. It had to be a joke from one of his teammates - probably from the Pyro.

Mumbling to himself, the RED Bostonian grabbed onto the edges of the tub to push himself to his feet. He froze about half way and then proceeded to sit back down in the water with a very faint tint of red on his face. He was naked. And there wasn't any sign of his clothes or a towel in that steamy bathroom.

"Well...crap!" growled Scout to himself, crossing his arms and pouted slightly. If he ever found the person who put him in that position, he was going to make them pay.

Without warning, the door to the bathroom suddenly flew open, slamming against the wall and made the Scout jump in surprise. He expected the Soldier to walk in, but found himself staring down at the Spycrab as he causally scuttled into the bathroom.

"Bonjour, Mon Ami!" greeted the small crab. "Are you surprised to see me?"

Scout blinked, becoming even more confused then he already was.

"I'm more surprised that you were able to open that door on your own," admitted Scout, smiling slightly. He didn't deny the fact he was very happy to see the Spycrab again. "How'd you get here, man?"

"Oh, Scout," began the Spycrab, approaching the tub slowly. "You know I would travel across the earth just to see your smile."

The smile on Scout's face disappeared immediately. "Dude...that was just cheesy as hell!"

The Spycrab merely chuckled. "It is how I feel about you, Scout," he said softly.

"_Ok, this has got to be a dream_," thought Scout.

"You are very special to me," the Spycrab added.

"Stop lying to me!" sighed the Scout, pouting a bit. "I'm only special to you because I'm a virgin and I can break that stupid curse."

"That's not true," stated the crab simply.

The Scout looked back down at the Spycrab, hoping he would explain what he meant by that. The little cursed Spy smiled, suddenly leaping high into the air and landing in the deep side of the tub. Scout flinched, not expecting him to do that. He continued to stare at the water, hoping the Spycrab would emerge. When he didn't, the Scout gasped, shifting himself around so he was heading towards the far end.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light where the crab dove, which really freaked out the Scout as he jumped back against the wall of the tub, starring at the light with wide eyes. He didn't know what was going to happen.

Slowly, the light faded away, leaving the Scout alone in the steam filled room in hot water. Before Scout could even open his mouth to make the already awkward moment more awkward, there was movement in the water. Without warning, the Spy suddenly emerged from the tub - not as a crab, but as a human. A fully dressed, tall BLU Spy.

Scout was silent, staring up at the BLU Spy with his legs pulled up to his chest. The realization of how naked he was, and how not-so naked the Spy was - despite being knee deep in water- was quickly kicking in.

"Wow," said Scout, breaking the silence between them as the Spy smiled. "So...I never had to kiss you?"

"Non. I just needed to bathe in water with the purest of all virgins," replied the Spy. The Scout felt his eye twitch.

"I wish you could've told me that MONTHS ago!"

"Oui, but...it was more fun this way," the Spy chuckled. He leaned forward a bit and held his hand out to the RED. "Now then, shall we?"

Things were getting even weirder then before…again, if that were possible. Scout couldn't believe how casual he was handling it. He always imagined when the Spycrab gained his human body again, he would be freaking out or something - not sitting naked in the bathtub with the Spy in his blue suit standing there staring down at him like it happened on a regular basis.

"I'm naked here!" semi-yelled Scout. "I ain't goin' anywhere till I get some freakin' clothes on!"

The Spy merely laughed softly, taking hold of the Scout's arm and pulled him to his feet. He held him close, almost protectively as they stood in the tub. Scout immediately tensed up, not exactly used to being that close against someone - plus his wet body was beginning to freeze from the mysterious cool air blowing through the bathroom. It must've been that damn window that wasn't there.

"There's no need to be shy, Scout," said the Spy softly. It was foreign to the Scout interacting with the Spy when he was human. So different, yet...familiar. It was hard to describe how he felt being held by the man who used to be a crab. "It is just you and me."

"Still…naked!" growled the Scout. He hated how vulnerable he felt at the moment.

The Spy pulled back a bit, looking Scout over. "Yes...it would appear to be that way," he laughed, which quickly faded away when the Scout narrowed his eyes at the Frenchman in annoyance. Sheepishly, the Spy cleared his throat, carefully taking off his suit's jacket and wrapped it around Scout's shoulder. "Better?"

"Uh...no!" Scout replied, although he did pull the jacket closer against him. He felt the warmth from the Spy's body still on the fabric. "Y-you sure it's just you an' me? No one else is here?"

"Just you and me," repeated the BLU Spy.

"Good! I don't want any of the fellas to see me like this!" sighed the Scout. "Y'know, all naked 'n shit."

"Well, you will not hear me complaining," the Spy laughed again. "So...are you ready to go?" The Scout looked up at the Spy curiously.

"Go where?"

"To the moon."

"What?"

Without saying a word, the Spy wrapped his arms around Scout's torso and suddenly jumped up towards the ceiling. Of course, the ceiling wasn't there anymore. Instead there were...clouds? Big, fluffy, golden clouds with a small hint of pink highlights on their surface. Why the Scout didn't notice them before was beyond his explanation, but fly through the clouds the two mercenaries did. Scout screamed his head off, cursing every word he knew while the BLU Spy remained calm. He kept the young RED close to him as they traveled through the misty haze till they reached the other side of it.

It was even worse on the surface of the cloud. There were more puffy clouds against a pinkish sunset with a glistening orange-ish sun just peeking above the horizon. At least they stopped flying through the sky. What drove Scout nuts was that he was suddenly fully dressed. Where did those clothes come from? And why were bubbles suddenly appearing everywhere? It was like one of those Christian greeting cards with the little naked angel babies mixed with a child's birthday party - minus the clowns, face painters and cheap entertainment.

"This isn't the moon," Scout pointed out, still clinging to the Spy. He feared if he let go, he'd fall through the cloud to his death.

"Non. It's better," said the Spy, taking one of the Scout's hands into his own. "Come, Mon Petite, let us frolic!"

Before Scout could answer, the Spy suddenly jumped, forcing the Scout to fly through the air again. They landed on another golden cloud, not even waiting for a second to jump off that one towards yet another cloud. The Spy was enjoying himself, unlike the Scout, who was screaming his head off during each leap. He was convinced they were going to fall through the next cloud. As much as Scout hated to admit it, he was actually enjoying himself - not the cloud jumping or him magically being in clothes, but just being with the BLU Spy. No one else. Just him and the Spy.

"No more frolicking, no more FROLICKING!" yelled the Scout, feeling himself getting dizzy from the jumping and the way too feminine atmosphere.

The Spy chuckled softly, finally coming to a stop as they landed on a single white cloud. Scout desperately clung to him, worried he would fall through it if he let go.

"See? Isn't this better then a boring escapade on the moon?" asked the Spy.

"No. It's worse!"

Again the Spy laughed, humored by the Bostonian's stubborn behavior and hatred towards 'pretty' settings. Scout, on the other hand, was not amused by any of it. He pouted a bit as he turned away from the Frenchman. The Spy smiled, taking hold of the Scout's chin and forced him to look at him again. The Scout's eyes widened, catching a glimpse of what was happening behind the Spy. Dark thunder clouds were forming in the distance, quickly moving in towards the lone white cloud they were on.

At the time, he thought nothing of it, just something to make the atmosphere more manly. It wasn't until the black clouds started forming a hand did he let out nervous gasp. The Spy raised a confused eyebrow, letting go of the Scout's face and reluctantly began to turn around to see what was wrong.

"Don't look!" Scout said. At least, that's what he wanted to say; he felt himself speak the word, but no sound came out of his mouth.

Scout tried to get the Spy to avoid looking behind him, but it was too late. The large hand made of the black clouds suddenly swooped in and grabbed the Frenchman, beginning to pull him off the white cloud and away from the Scout.

"NO!" yelled Scout. Again, no sound was heard.

The Spy struggled to get free from the hand, but was unsuccessful. He was already being pulled up in the air before he reached out for the Scout.

"Scout!" he called out. "Please help me!"

Scout reached out to grab the Spy's hand. He missed completely as he felt himself sinking into the cloud like quick sand. It didn't help that the Spy was out of arm's reach as he sank. Desperately, he tried to call out to the Frenchman, but his voice still hadn't returned. It was gone.

"Scout!" he heard the Spy called out to him as his vision was becoming cloudy from the, well, cloud. "SCOUT! SCOUT!"

* * *

"SCOUT!"

Gasping, the Scout finally opened his eyes. He found himself on his back in the snow, looking up at the RED Sniper, who had a worried look plastered on his face. His moment with the BLU Spy was all just a dream. Which was a good thing. Scout looked around from where he was with his eyes, seeing that the battle was still taking place, but judging by how the sky was a bright orange definitely was an indicator that something was wrong. The battle should've ended hours ago. Sniper's voice could barely be heard as Scout tried to gather his thoughts. He could feel the Sniper's calloused fingers against the wound on his head, which made him let out a loud hiss of pain.

"OW! Don't touch it!" he snapped, pushing away Sniper's hand.

"But...yer bleedin'," breathed the Sniper, looking shocked that Scout was still alive at that point. The snow must have helped Scout's wounds when he was unconscious.

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock!" Scout groaned, trying to get to his feet, but the pain in his leg was too much. He found himself falling back to the ground.

The Sniper grabbed the Scout's arm and pulled him onto his good leg, quickly bending down and slung the Scout over his shoulder.

"Hey! What the hell are you doin'?" protested Scout.

"The Medic ordered a retreat! The Announcer 'asn't called off the fight, an' we're all runnin' out of energy an' ammunition," explained the Sniper, holding onto the back of Scout's legs with one arm as he made his way across the field. "The BLUs will back off when we're off the field."

"That's bullshit, man! We can still take 'em!"

"Not in the condition you're in!"

Scout let out a loud groan. He was not in the mood to argue with the Sniper, especially since most of his anxiety was in actually finding the Spycrab. Being away from him for one day was torture enough, but having to be away for two days? He wasn't sure if he was going to last that long.

He looked out towards the field, hoping to spot the BLU Scout. IT would've been easier if he wasn't being bounced around with the Sniper's running. He was able to make a few things out: fleeing REDs and BLUs and more missiles being launched by the two Soldiers. Maybe it was to hold off the BLUs while everyone else was running for their lives? The entire field itself was covered in craters, rubble, bloody snow and a few body parts from those who weren't able to make it back to the base.

There was a sudden flash of blue that caught Scout's attention. He turned his head, hoping to spot the BLU Scout, but only gasped in shock when he saw it was the BLU Spy! He looked unusually angry as he gripped tightly onto his knife. He snarled at the two as he flashed that gap in his teeth, ready to take a stab at either the Scout or Sniper.

"DUCK!" yelled Scout on impulse.

"What?" When the same flash of blue caught the corners of the Sniper's eyes, he immediately ducked down, pulling the Scout close to avoid the blade.

They heard the audible swing from the weapon as it swung over the two, immediately changing their attention from the base to the BLU Spy. The Sniper narrowed his eyes, muttering something to the Scout as he pushed him aside, leaping to his feet as he jumped at the BLU Spy. He tackled the man to the ground, hoping to give Scout enough room to make his escape.

Scout grabbed a nearby tree, using it to pull himself to his feet as he watched the Sniper fight with the BLU Spy. He was surprised by the fact that the Spy was on the winning side, using a combination of his arms and legs to turn the tables. He pinned the Sniper down with one hand, and quickly jabbed his knife into the Sniper's neck, forcing a loud cry from the Australian.

"**Don't**. Get in. My WAY!" hissed the Spy angrily as he twisted the knife in the man's flesh before pulling it out. He glared down at the man as he heard the Sniper release his final breath before dying.

Scout inhaled deeply, not sure if he should be mournful of the Sniper or fearful of the BLU Spy. The Spy looked over his shoulder at the Scout with a far-from-pissed off look at he gripped his knife again, standing up to face the wounded runner.

Scout let out a loud gulp. He recognized that face before. That was the Spy's 'I have you now' look. He was so screwed. With his leg still injured, he couldn't run. It was painful enough just standing there on his good leg alone. He let out a pathetic whimper as the BLU Spy approached him.

"RUUUUN!" yelled the RED Heavy.

That was enough to grab both the Scout and BLU Spy's attention. They both turned their heads in the direction of a stampeding Heavy, followed by the RED Pyro and Demoman. The BLU Spy cringed, jumping out of the way before the Heavy could bulldoze him to the ground as the group of REDs ran past.

A familiar screech sounded, which made the Scout's eyes widen again. Another missile attack? Darn Soldiers. Scout quickly turned in the direction of the sound, spotting not one, but two rockets heading towards their area. He was really getting sick of the Soldier and their spamming rocket launchers.

With a desperate leap, Scout tried to avoid the attack as he did when he was pinned with the BLU Sniper. The BLU Spy, however, managed to understand what was going on. He noticed the two missiles and jumped out of the way to avoid the explosives as well. The combined rockets exploded at the same time, causing a large, fiery blast that knocked the Scout almost halfway across the field.

"_Why me?_" was all Scout could ask himself as he landed roughly on the ground, rolling a few times before finally coming to a stop. He was unharmed by the force of the explosion, but all that movement wasn't good for the wounds he received earlier. In short, he was in absolute pain!

He landed on his back, staring up at the sky as he remained still. He breathed heavily through his mouth, frustrated at himself for being in his condition and for being so careless and missing his chance to find his counterpart. It only made things worse when he began to realize how the Spycrab felt with Scout being the only one who could hear him. Watching his teammates run past him, not even stopping to check to see if he was dead or not, concerned with their owns lives and nothing else.

Invisible and in pain - that's how he felt at the moment. With a groan, Scout tried to push himself into a sitting position, which he wasn't able to get far with due to the throbbing headache. He promptly fell back into the snow again with a sigh. Hopefully, the BLU Spy was in as much pain as he was. Dying would only send him to respawn and at full health. Scout wasn't ready to pull out his pistol and shoot himself in the head just to respawn. Suicide was rage quitting, which he wasn't ready to do yet.

"Medic..." he whimpered.

"Scout?"

Scout looked up slightly, noticing the RED Spy approaching him, skidding a bit on the snow as he knelled down to check on the young RED. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Scout was still alive and...kind of in one piece.

"What took you so long?" groaned the Scout, glaring up at the Spy. The Spy merely smiled, glad to see the Scout's condition didn't change his personality.

"Forgive me," he said softly, scooping the Scout into his arms. "I forgot you were still out zhere."

"You dick." said Scout weakly as the Spy stood up with him.

"Well, let's get you to zhe Medic," the Spy said, turning around carefully and beginning to move towards the base. "Zhe Soldier iz going to give 'ell to zhe Administrator for making us fight until we drop."

Scout looked over the Spy's arms, getting a good look at the damage done to the field from the explosion. He was mostly surprised to see that the rockets didn't cause any craters - just a lot of burnt spots on the ground, which was weird. A disappointed sigh escaped from his mouth when saw some REDs were able to get away in time - only a few though; two or three at the most from what he could see, along with several BLU - one of which was the BLU Spy.

Good. He survived another round, and the BLU Scout wasn't part of the corpse count, which meant that the Spycrab was in one piece too.

"Thank you..." Scout sighed to himself, letting out a relieved sigh as he closed his eyes. He was finally glad the day was over.

"Uh...you are...welcome?" replied the RED Spy.


	29. Teammates

_Short Chapter! Yay!_**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 29**- _Teammates_

-_Meanwhile-_

While the BLU Scout wasn't kill during the series of unfortunately events, the blast did knock him off his feet when he caught sight of the RED Scout. He was slightly dizzy when he finally regained his footing. Needing to hold still as he rested against a rock formation - at least what was left of it- till everything stopped spinning.

"Wow! Th-that's some crazy gravity!" He laughed.

With a sigh, he pulled his satchel to his side, unzipping it and allowed the Spycrab to come up. Figuring he needed to breathe after being locked in the BLU's bag all this time. A few shakes were all it took for the Spycrab to get rid of the same feeling he shared with the BLU Scout. He looked at the almost bare field with shock, but calmed down slightly when none of the visible corpses were that of the RED Scout.

"Oh man..." commented the BLU Scout, walking forward a bit to get a better look at the damage.

When it finally hit the young BLU that everyone had retreated back to the base, he quickly dashed across the field, causing the Spycrab to grip onto the straps of the satchel as the BLU Scout ran, jumping over debris and bodies to catch up with the others.

'_Please Stop._'

The BLU Scout slowed down to a halt when movement caught his eyes. Looking over his shoulders towards the large blackened area where the two rockets collided. By this time, those who have died faded away, reappearing in Respawn. However, the BLU Spy's body was still there, badly burned in some areas, and his suit was torn and bloody. Was he even still alive?

Reluctantly, the BLU Scout walked a little closer to catch any signs if their new Spy was breathing. So far, nothing, just a motionless body laying still on the ground. The Spycrab looked at the man's body, having a hard time deciding if he should feel sorry for the man or laugh. Curiously, the BLU Scout kicked the man's side, very b**very/b**gently.

"AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGH!" Screamed the BLU Spy in pain.

Yep, he was alive. At the time though, it was hard to tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"HOLY CRAP!" Gasped the BLU Scout, jumping back and falling down.

The Spy's eyes were wide open, staring into blank space as he gasped for air, panting heavily against the ground. His entire body in pain, just breathing was enough to cause him to let out a slight cry or whimper of discomfort.

The BLU Scout cringed, being extremely thankful he wasn't in the Spy's situation now. Yet, he felt the man was clearly getting what he deserved for being just a jackass. He kept a straight face though, picking himself off the ground and began to slowly make his way back to the base. Opting to leave the BLU Spy where he was. Let him be someone else's problem.

He let out a sudden gasp when the Spycrab pinched him on the arm, causing the runner to stop, he glared down at the crab to silently demand an explanation for that.

'_You're not just going to leave him there, are you_?' Read the crab's expression.

The BLU Scout blinked, looking at the Spycrab in disbelief. "You're...joking, right?"

The Spycrab just stared up at the young man, the expression not changing at all. To be honest, the Spycrab wasn't sure why his opinion on his replacement changed. Could be out of pity.

"He-He stole your job and he's treatin' us like crap!" added Scout.

Still no change.

"You're serious? You want me to save h-him?"

'_He's still a BLU, and your teammate_.'

The BLU Scout let out a nervous groan, he really hated that man, but the Spycrab had a silent point. Like it or not, that other BLU Spy- that was now a sniveling burnt, bloody mess- was a BLU. Chances were, if he didn't help the man now, then the Soldier would probably go out and retrieve him himself. During which the Spy would probably rat him out for being there and not helping out when he had the chance. It was a perfect gambit for getting into deep trouble with the other BLUs.

With an annoyed sigh, the BLU Scout opened up his satchel, allowing the Spycrab to slip back into the bag before sliding the satchel back on properly. With that, he turned and faced the Spy again. Putting on his bravest face as he walked over and grabbed the man's arm, prepared to wrap it over his shoulders and hoist the Spy to his feet.

As expected, the Frenchman let out another scream of pain. Glaring daggers and silent death threats as the Scout ignored him completely and just did his best to get the man up.

"Get away from me!" demanded the Spy. "I can 'elp myself!"

"I s-s-seriously doubt that." said the BLU Scout, sternly, purposely twisting the Spy's wrist slightly to keep him from fighting.

The Spy wasn't in the mood to be assisted by someone who was younger and shorter than him. Growling lightly as he tried to pull away from the BLU Scout when he was forced upright on his feet. It was easy to tell this wasn't good for the man's injuries.

"Hey! H-h-hold still, I'm tryin' to help you!" grunted the Runner, struggling to keep his hold on the older BLU.

"I. Do Not. Need **your **'elp!" hissed the Spy. "Now, get away from me, you little brat!"

Slap!

The other BLU had enough of the man's whining and refusal of his assistance. Promptly grabbing the Spy's arm firmly and used his free hand to slap the man across the face.

That did the trick. The other BLU Spy stared at the BLU Scout with wide eyes, not expecting the boy to do that to him. The first time he even saw Scout stand up to him that way. The Scout had his full attention now. That was he too weak and in pain to strike back.

"Look, like it or not, we're both on th-the same team," began the BLU Scout. "We-we're both BLUs, th-that makes us teammates! So...wh-when one of us gets hurt, w-we-we gotta help out. So...**SHUT UP **AND LET ME HELP YOU... B-BUDDY!"

The Spy was silent, only staring at the Scout with shock, and maybe a little fear. That could've been the pain and anguish talking though. Slowly, and eventually, he nodded slightly. Allowing the Scout to sling his arm over his skinny shoulders and pulled him in so could lean on him for support as they began their slow trek back to the base, occasionally letting out cries of pain as they walked. It was a very awkward moment for the both of them.

"I'm proud of you, Miles." whispered the Spycrab.

"Did you...say somezhing?" breathed the Spy.

"Uh...N-No, you're hearing th-things." answered the BLU Scout, quickly.

"Merde."


	30. Recovery  BLU

_I didn't want to post this chapter yet, because I've yet to have a beta-read check it over. But School has a lot more important then this, so...I'm throwing caution to the wind and giving you a chapter full of mistakes. _

_Also, a few Meet the Medic references. Happy Halloween!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 30**- _Recovery- BLU_

_-BLU Base-_

The infirmary was unusually busy. Those who were injured from the impact were dragged to the Medic by their teammates. Most of which only suffered minor injures, which made the Medic's job easier when treating them.

When the retreat was ordered by the BLU Soldier, Medic asked the Engineer to check the status of the Respawn system. Concerned about the whole situation in regards to the possible scarring on his patients. After that incident with the new BLU Spy involving a talking crab, the Medic made sure to be more aware of physical damage done before the Respawn system is switched on and off.

It was a cruel twist of science and other unexplainable martial involving that machine. It would always switch off when the end of the battle was announced. Those who have received injuries before ceasefire was called, ended up with scars when healed, unlike those who were healed during battle. While it was rare for that to happen, it was still a pain in the neck to the German doctor.

When the Engineer returned, announcing that Respawn was still on, the Medic went to work with those who were still injured. Using his Medigun on the three BLUs that were severely damaged by the accident, allowing them to rest and regain their energy as he then focused his attention to the others.

"DOKTOR!" cried the BLU Heavy, while the Medic was checking him over. It was a very quick procedure, seeing how the large Russian only had a sliver on his finger. Due to the size of the man's fingers, however, was what caused the Heavy to panic. That, and the talk of the Respawn system being off. "Doktor will have to amputate finger! Leetle sliver is **too deep**!"

The BLU Medic groaned, trying to get the Heavy to stop crying and flailing so he could remove the pesky splinter with a pair of tweezers. "Hold still, herr Heavy!"

"Middle finger too big for pulling trigger!" continued the Heavy, tears streaming down his face. "I will have to retire early with nine fingers!"

"You are exaggerating." Sighed the Medic, finally grabbing hold of the shard.

"No one will want to be friends with strange nine fingered - AAAHHH!" The Heavy pulled back his finger, shocked to find the pain from earlier was gone. As was the little piece of wood that was lodged in his trigger finger. "Ooooohhhhh! Medic is miracle worker!"

"Ja, ja, I am a miracle worker of much miracles," The Medic said sarcastically. "NEXT!"

The Heavy laughed happily, pushing himself off the medical bed and practically skipped happily out of the infirmary. The other two patients were just as simple as the Heavy. The Solider walking in with dust in his eyes and the Demoman who thought his eye was missing; but it turned out it was missing the whole time, but covered with an eyepatch. He was drunk, so he had an excuse.

Medic let out a heavy sigh of relief when those brought in were taken care of and sent on their way. He was about to settle down in his office chair to relax for the day when...

"MEDIC!"

The sudden cry was enough to startle the man, making himself jump in his seat, falling backwards onto the floor. He quickly recovered, though, leaping to his feet. Walking swiftly across the infirmary to the hallway, looking for whoever called his name.

"Medic!"

Medic gasped lightly when he saw the BLU Scout making his way towards him, helping support and badly injured BLU Spy.

"Mein gott," muttered the Medic, dashing over to help the Scout out. "Vhat happened?"

"He-He got caught in th-th-that collision," explained the BLU Scout. "I thought he w-w-was dead, b-but-but he's alive! J-ju-just barely though!"

"I'm surprised he could even walk." noted the Medic, slinging the Spy's other arm over his shoulder.

"AAAUGGGH!" screamed the Spy. His badly mangled arm not being held gently at all by the Medic. "Damnit! Will you just **KILL ME** already?"

The Medic cringed, getting a good look at the damage done to the Spy's body. Most of the wounds were either covered with blood or burns, or pieces of his tattered and torn suit. And yet, despite how raggedy the Spy looked, his mask remained unscathed, aside from a few tears here and there. Keeping the Spy's faced concealed. Darn.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," The Medic said, almost like he was talking to a little child that scraped his knee. "It's not zhat bad." He looked over at the BLU Scout, whispering. "Yes, it **is**."

"I 'eard that!" snapped the Spy, sobbing at the same time. "Please! It 'urts so much! Just kill me! It 'urts!"

The BLU Scout looked at the Medic with worried eyes. "Medic?"

"Oh, hush, Miles, no one iz going to die," said the Medic. "Help me get him into zee ward."

* * *

The BLU Scout set his satchel on an empty hospital bed, allowing the Spycrab to emerge from it and stretch. Remaining quiet as he sat, perched on the bag and watched his two friends work with the injured BLU Spy. Still surprised that the BLU Scout would stand up to the man who's been abusing and treating him so coldly the past month. Then again, despite being a hired killer, his friend has a kind heart. Part of him believed that the RED Scout was going to be furious though. Consider if the RED Scout missed him at all.

Despite the amount of loud cries from the BLU Spy, the two managed to get him into a bed and calmed him down. That didn't stop the screaming though, the man was in too much pain at the moment from being moved across the field and being handled roughly from the two BLUs.

Finally, the German doctor had to resort to sticking a syringe full of morphine into the Spy to ease the pain. The Medic and Scout held him down long enough till the medicine began to work, watching the Frenchman stop thrashing and yelling, slowing down into a heavy breathing, whimpering sight.

The BLU Scout stood back as the Medic put on his med pack again, sitting down on the edge of hospital bed, next to the Spycrab. The two sat quietly, watching the Medic work with the Medigun a bit till the familiar blue mist trailed out through the nozzle. Slowly flowing across the room over to the injured Spy.

"Good," sighed the Medic, lowering his Medigun and motioning for the young BLU to aid him. "Help me get him more comfortable. You can be mein nurse for zhe day."

The BLU Scout frowned. "Nurse?" He repeated, sounding skeptical. "L-Look, I'll be your assistant, bu-but I ain't gonna be yer nurse!"

"What? Men can be nurses, too." pointed out the Medic as he slid his pack off his shoulders, setting it down so it was out of their way.

"No."

"Fine. Be zhat way."

The Spycrab watched as the Medic and Scout worked together to remove the man's suit jacket, being as careful as possible to not stir the man from his sleep, or whatever state he was currently in. He looked asleep, but his eyes occasionally opened slightly. Possibly due to the morphine, or the Medigun. Maybe even a combination of both.

"Alright..." began the Medic, searching the jacket for the Spy's weapons and other knick-knacks he carries on his person. " Disguise kit..." He handed the small case to his teammate.

"Disguise Kit." repeated the BLU, taking the case and setting it on a medical tray so it was out of everyone's way.

"A Benchmade 32 Morpho Balisong with a 3.25" blade with a hardness of 59-61HRC und styled with a Crowned Modified Spear-Point," Medic listed off casually, pulling the knife from another pocket inside the jacket.

The BLU Scout blinked, taking the knife. "Uh...a sharp pointy knife th-thing." He set that aside with the disguise case. "H-h-how the hell did you know that, doc?"

"I have **no** idea," smiled the Medic, continuing his search through the Spy's jacket. "Revolver, und ammunition.

He handed it to the BLU Scout, who set it aside, glancing over at the Spycrab with a sympathetic look. The crab only glanced up at his old teammate before nodding back at his replacement. Silently telling the BLU Scout to focus on him for now.

"Vell, I believe zhat's all..." announced the Medic, draping the jacket over a chair before he went for the pockets on the Spy's vest, pulling out a round silver watch attached to a long silver chain. "Oh, vhat a nice pocket watch."

"You're n-n-ot plannin' on lootin' th-th-the guy, are ya?" asked the BLU Scout, noticing how the Medic was brushing his fingers across the smooth surface of the watch enviously.

"Nien, why vould I do such a thing?" denied the Medic, his voice cracking slightly.

"Well...you stole $100 from the Solider last time he was unconscious." The BLU Scout pointed out.

"Zhat was for science!" insisted the Medic, opening the pocket watch to see if it was another weapon or just an ordinary watch. Which it was. Unfortunately, the face of the watch was cracked and the hands had fallen off. Perhaps the Engineer could fix it, because at the moment, it was junk. On the opposite side of the cover latch, however, were two engraved letters. "R.L."

"W-w-what does that mean?" asked the young BLU.

"Could be his initials," assumed the Medic with a shrug, handing the watch to the Scout. "Continuing on...wallet." He passed the folded case to the young man, who placed it with the Spy's belongings. "Loose change." Again, handing them to the Scout. "Long, yellow, frilly ribbon..." The Medic paused, pulling the object back before Scout could claim it. "Wait...WHAT?"

The Medic jaw dropped as he looked down at the long piece of ribbon. Just a simple, faded yellow color strand with a few bunt edges from the blast. There was no way this piece of fabric belonged to the Spy. At least, that's what the Medic thought. Unless the Spy was a cross dresser by night, if that was the case, he had some explaining to do.

The Spy finally stirred, opening his eyes slightly before letting out a gasp and widening his gaze when he saw what was in the Medic's hands.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" He yelled, swiping the ribbon from the Medic and holding it against his chest protectively.

The outburst startled the two BLUs and the Spycrab, staring at the man with shocked expressions before calming down. It didn't take long for the Medic to put two and two together; the ribbon, the suddenly overprotective nature of the Spy towards said ribbon, the way the Pyro kept stealing his opinions at their book club. It was so obvious now.

"My, my," uttered the Medic with a mischievous grin. "Our new Spy..." He paused for dramatic effect. "... has a girlfriend!"

"What?" Both the BLU Scout and the Spycrab said, dumbfounded. Even the Spy didn't seem impressed by that. Giving the Medic a very annoyed look.

"I'm right, aren't I, herr Spy?" asked the Medic.

"You are jumping to conclusions." replied the Spy in a low, tired tone.

"Zhat's a 'yes'!" proclaimed the Medic, excitably. Clapping his hands and he sang, teasingly. "Spy has a girlfriend~! Spy has a girlfriend~! Spy has a-"

The Spy then proceeded to grab the man's tie and slam his head down against the table next to the hospital bed. Promptly knocking the doctor out and letting go of the tie to allow the man to ragdoll down on the floor. Letting out a satisfied sigh with the silence that took over.

Which didn't last long when the Spy heard an alarmed whimper from the BLU Scout. Turning his head slowly to the side, seeing the Scout near the bed next to his. Looking pretty scared of him after what he did to the Medic. The Spycrab immediately dashed back into Scout's satchel to avoid being seen by the man.

A single huff was all the man could say as a response to that. Getting comfortable on the bed as he closed his eyes again.

"D-...Do I even want to know?" asked the BLU Scout meekly.

"It's something you will never understand," replied the Spy softly, before suddenly turning his head towards the BLU with a murderous look. "Now...Go** away**!" That was all the BLU Scout needed to hear before grabbing his satchel and dashing out of the infirmary.

With a heavy sigh, the Spy relaxed in his bed again. Looking down at the ribbon in his hand. Rubbing his thumb over the material once before slipping it back in the pocket on his vest. Patting it once to feel it through the thick material. There, right over his heart, where it belongs.

It didn't take long before he heard the Medic waking from the floor. Grabbing hold of the edge of the bed and pulling himself up a bit. A large swollen bruise was already forming on his head where he took the hit.

"Vhat zhe hell was zhat for?" snapped the Medic. "You could haff killed me!"

"Oui...but I didn't." said the Spy simply, staring up at the ceiling.

The Medic opened his mouth to say something, but gave up. Letting out a very frustrated growl as he pushed himself up onto his feet. Question to himself why the BLU Scout even bothered saving the man. He thought of no one but himself and got angry at the slightest amount of kindness from either of his teammates. It was maddening.

"Sometimes you just make me vant to scream!" admitted the Medic, making gestures with his hands that implied strangling someone by the neck.

The Spy did not look impressed. As usual. "Whatever makes you 'appy, Doctor."

"AAAAAUUUGHH!"


	31. Recovery RED

_Warning: Terrible Chapter ahoy. You've been warned.**  
**_

* * *

**Chapter 31**- _Recovery- RED_

-_RED Base_-

The Scout groaned as he opened his eyes, only to shut them again when he made eye contract with the florescent lights from above. He let out a loud sigh, a little angry at himself for passing out from exhaustion in the RED Spy's arms. How embarrassing, and slightly gay. Kind of.

"Oh, you are...awake." said a nervous voice.

It didn't take Scout long to realize he was place halfway on a hospital bed with his legs dangling over the edge. Along with the excruciating pain when he felt cold metal prodding inside his bullet wound. Was he dreaming again? The sudden wave of pain answered his question quickly.

"AH SHIT!" Scout screamed, about to sit up, only to have his shoulders grabbed and pulled back down on the bed.

"Calm down there, son." said a gruff, yet oddly soothing voice. Texan. Yep, that was the RED Engineer grabbing him and holding him in place.

The other hand on his leg, that belonged to the Medic. Now it was all clear. The Medic had to remove the bullet before using his Medi-gun on him. Scout clamped his eyes shut, letting out a hiss of discomfort as the Medic dug a little deeper in his wound.

"Got it!" The doctor chirped happily, holding up the large tweezers with the small bullet between it's clamps.

"Ya-hoo." said Scout sarcastically, feeling himself fall backwards on the bed. "What the hell happened out there?"

The Medic and Engineer worked together in pulling the Scout up on the bed so his head was resting on the pillow.

"We lost communication with the Administrator," the Engineer explained as the Medic continued to patch up Scout's leg. "Probably a severed power line with the crazy weather we've been having these days."

"And Sniper? That BLU Spy killed him before he got me back to the base." asked Scout.

"He's back from Respawn, angrier then a bat outta hell, though, for being over powered by that runt," chuckled the Texan. "I sent him on a walk to cool off, he's fine though."

"That's good, I guess." sighed Scout, closing his eyes again. "When can I get out of here?"

"In zhe morning," answered the Medic, having patched up Scout's leg and used the Medi-gun on him to finish the rest while he spoke with the Engineer. "You might be healed, but your body still needs rest. Due to how you vere thrown around like a rag doll out zhere, I REALLY must insist you stay here in zhe infirmary for zhe night, Scout."

Scout let out an exhausted sigh, for once agreeing with the Medic. "Ok."

"I don't vant to here it, Herr Scout! I am zhe Doctor here und I...vait...you are not arguing zhis time?" blinked the Medic.

"I'm just not in the mood to fight with ya." admitted Scout, looking up at the ceiling.

The Medic frowned, suddenly looking disappointed. "But...you alvays put up a fight..."

The Engineer chuckled, patting the German on the back. "I'm just as surprised as you are, doc."

The moment of uncertainty was interrupted when the Heavy rushed in, pulling the Medic by the arm, almost in a panic.

"Dokor! Come quick! Soldier's skeleton is trying to escape his body again!"

"Agh! Not again!" gasped the Medic, immediately following after the Heavy without a second thought. "I shouldn't haff played God!"

The Engineer couldn't help but chuckle. Using his ungloved hand to rub the exhaustion out of his eyes before turning to the Scout. Noting how the youngest member of their team was covered in a mixture of mud and soot. It was almost a miracle he survived that ordeal outside.

"Well...seein' how yer gonna be in here for a while, can I get you anything?" He offered.

The Scout had to think about that. While his body was exhausted, he wasn't ready to fall asleep yet. He had the time, though, to work on his research.

"Yeah, some clean clothes...and the red notebook on my desk." He requested, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"You got it!" Chirped the Engineer, turning on his heels to walk out of the infirmary.

With the Engineer gone, the Scout began to realized how quiet it was. It was just him in the infirmary. The others who were injured were strong enough to walk themselves to their rooms. Lucky bastards. This momentary isolation was driving the Bostonian crazy, he needed someone to vent too, but the Spycrab was still with the BLU Scout. Taking to the others was out of the question, they didn't understand him. Maybe because he was too stubborn to open up to anyone.

Frustrated, the Scout sat on the edge of the hospital bed and peeled off what was left of his red shirt. Practically reduced to shreds from the blast. Beyond repairable, and putting it through the washer would only destroy it more.

He looked over towards the Medic's desk, noticing how it under a window that looked out towards the field. Silently, he pushed himself to his feet and walked over towards the window, needing to stand up on the tips of his feet to see out the glass.

The BLU Base, that was the first thing that caught his eye. Not the bloodstained snow, or the large black soot from the Soldier's rockets or the butchered trees. That blue coded base was his focus on attention. Somewhere in that building was the BLU Scout, and if he found his counterpart, he'd find the Spycrab. Maybe if he snuck into the base during the night, he could reclaim his little buddy and-

"Scout..."

Scout froze slightly, looking over his shoulder to see the RED Sniper standing right behind him. When did he come in? Scout didn't hear him, but then again, when he went off onto his schemes in his head, he usually blocked out a lot of sound.

"Oh, hey!" Scout tried to play it cool, which made things hard when the runner realized he didn't have his shirt on. "Um...thanks for savin' me out there and-"

"Can we talk?"

Again with the interrupting. It was getting hard already with staying cool. "Uh...yeah, I guess...wh-what's going o-"

"Are you in love with a BLU?"

Scout blinked, looking very annoyed at the Sniper for interrupting him, yet again. Even going as far as accusing him of something that was very true at the moment. Kind of.

"What?"

"You were starin' out the window at the BLU base," said the Sniper, narrowing his eyes at the moment. "That new BLU Spy of theirs...he hasn't killed you yet, nor 'ave _you_ killed **him**."

"Well, he's a kind of unpredictable, ok? That doesn't mean I-"

"Is HE the one! That guy you like?" Demanded the Sniper, grabbing the Scout by the arms.

"Hey! Will you cut it out!" said the Scout, letting out a little cry of pain when the Australian shoved him up against the wall. Keeping him pinned against the wall with his callused hands digging into his bony shoulders. Scout hated how trapped he felt, he also hated what was about to come out of his mouth. "Y-You're hurting me!"

Reluctantly, the Scout looked at the Sniper. Not knowing what he was going to do. That look the man had in his eyes really scared him at the moment. Almost like he was looking at a predator, and _he_ was its pray. Or something like that.

The Sniper's look softened a bit, looking almost hurt for a second before he frowned a bit. Suddenly leaning in without warning, pressing his lips against Scout's. The boy's eyes widened in horror, realizing what was happening now. The Sniper was kissing him! This was something he did _not_ want to happen. His first kiss...

"_NO_!"

* * *

_It had been OFFICIAL a year since I began writing. Happy Birthday, "The Scout and the Crab"._

_To celebrate? A cliffhanger._


	32. RED Confessions

**Chapter 32**- _RED Confessions_

Scout wasn't sure how to react. There he was, pinned up against the wall of the infirmary -without a shirt- by the Sniper and accused of being attracted to the new BLU Spy due to no record of either one killing the other over the months. The next thing Scout knew, the Sniper was...kissing him! Which was bad!

At first, Scout just froze, trying to piece together how he got into this situation in the first place. It _had_ to be the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, the smell of sweat and testosterone must've messed up Sniper's mind and turned him on- and made him gay.  
Actually, that was a pretty dumb idea now that Scout thought about it.

He began to panic and switch back to reality when he felt Sniper's calloused hands on his stomach, slowly gliding up towards his chest as he tried probing his tongue into Scout's mouth.

Oh, hell no!

By reflex, Scout's free hand felt around the Medic's desk. He took hold of the first object he could get his hand on, which was a small porcelain desk lamp. Gripping it tightly he smashed it into the side of Sniper's head with enough force for it to shatter on impact.

"AUGH!" Sniper cried out, falling to the floor, clinging to the small bruise on his temple. Luckily it was a cheap lamp, so it was only going to leave a bump and not a blood-gushing gash.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN'?" Scout demanded, angrily. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and spitting onto the floor with a disgusted look.

The Sniper blinked, watching Scout with a confused look as he picked himself off the floor. He staggered a bit before grabbing onto the edge of the desk to maintain his balance.

"Uh..." He replied.

"You...freakin' kissed me," breathed Scout, looking horrified and sick at the same time. "You... you really are a fag."

"Scout... don't go makin' accusations again," said Sniper, his voice sounding a little shaky. "Please."

"_You_ just freakin' kissed me! What could I **possibly** accuse you of? Bein' _straight_?" The Bostonian yelled, clearly on the brink of totally freaking out.

"No...No, Scout, don't do this again!" begged Sniper, grabbing onto the Scout to try and calm him down. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of 2fort.

"Let go of me, you faggot!" snapped Scout, struggling to get out of the Sniper's vice-grip like hold.

The Sniper suddenly snarled, getting angry with the Scout. "I said-"

"HEY!" shouted a voice.

The two froze, looking over towards the door to the infirmary to see a very pissed off Engineer standing on the threshold, a pair of clean clothes in one arm and Scout's notebook in the other.

There was an extremely awkward pause between the three, mostly between the Sniper and Scout due to the position they were caught in- Scout without a shirt on, pinned up against the wall with the Sniper's hands on him.

"What...is goin' on here?"

That was probably the wrong thing to ask. Almost immediately the Sniper and Scout started talking at the same time. Scout's noticeably high-pitched voice talking about Sniper being gay and making a move on him, while Sniper's low rugged voice just sounded like garble with the two mixed voices. The Engineer dropped what he was holding to place his fingers on the sides of his temple, apparently getting a bit of a headache from everything that was going on.

All he was hearing at the moment was "Blah, blah, blah, Spy, blah blah blah, strange, blah blah blah, gay ass lord, blah blah blah totally makin' out, blah blah blah."

"ENOUGH!" he ordered. The two shut their mouths, keeping their eyes on the Engineer.

It was hard to tell what was going on in the Texan's mind as he just stood there. Both the Scout and the Sniper were afraid to move, fearing the Engineer would yell at them again.

With a heavy, irritated sigh, the Engineer walked towards them.

"You, get dressed," the smaller man ordered the Scout, shoving the clean clothes into the Bostonian's arms. Scout didn't hesitate to do just that, not caring that anyone was watching. The Engineer pinched between his eyes, speaking a little more calmly this time. "I...have had enough of this. You two have been fightin' non-stop ever since day one, actually, I don't know what is goin' on, but this is where I draw the line!"

After a moment of silence, the Engineer pulled up two chairs that he grabbed from the corner of the ward and pushed them in front of his teammates.

"Sit," he said softly. When neither one budged, he frowned. " I said '**sit**'!"

Scout was the first one to sit down, holding on to the edge of his seat nervously as the Engineer began to pace, probably thinking about how to solve this. The silence in the room made the Scout a bit twitchy, causing his gaze to constantly shift back and forth from the Texan to the Australian, whose gaze was plastered on the Engineer the whole time. Although he couldn't see the Sniper's eyes because of the glasses, he could tell the man was embarrassed about what happened.

Scout was pretty ashamed that he _let _it happen.

Just thinking about being kissed by the Sniper made him feel dirty, both inside and out. Personally, he imagined his first kiss being enjoyable. This moment...definitely not what he had had in mind.

"Alright...start talkin'," the Engineer said at last, pointing to the Sniper. "Tell him."

"Me? I-I got nothin' to-" The Engineer frowned again, cueing the Sniper to shut up.

He sighed heavily, loosening up a bit before he looked - almost reluctantly- at Scout.

"Look..., Scout, I'm-I'm sorry I...jumped you like that," he apologized slowly. "An'...an' you were right...I-I am...y'know."

"A fag?" answered Scout, very sarcastically.

"Watch yer mouth!" hissed the Engineer. "He's a **person**, Scout! Remember that or yer gonna need braces for another twelve years!"

Another wounded sigh from the Sniper. "I ...I like you, Scout, a lot." He finally admitted.

Scout's eyes widened, but he found himself looking away from Sniper instead of towards him. He was afraid of being told that, maybe because he didn't want a guy liking him, only girls. Scout wished badly this was just a bad dream, but the slap across the face he did to wake himself up proved otherwise.

"Why?" he demanded, freaking out a bit. "Why _me_? I'm...I'm not gay, you can't like me!"

"I..." The Sniper paused. That was a good question, now that he thought about it, he and Scout had _nothing_ in common. They were completely different in more ways then one; personalities, habits, favorites, even sexuality. "Um... well...I kind of figured you were... gay." he shrugged.

Scout's jaw dropped, finally looking at the man in shock and disbelief. He wasn't sure if he should be angry with the Sniper for liking him or for thinking he wasn't straight.  
"You though I was...?" he breathed, at first surprisingly calm before he frowned angrily. "What the hell gave you that frickin' idea?"

Sniper remained calm as he spoke. "You were actin' like me. Anti-social, afraid to show yer face to everyone... you were spending so much time in yer room, I though you were ashamed as I was about my sexuality. You were even talkin' to yerself."

"Oh god..." Scout wanted to punch himself now. All that time he was spending with the Spycrab in his room, just gave the Sniper reasons to believe he was venting to his inner demons.

The Scout sat back down in his chair, gathering his thoughts about all the happened and what to say next. At least it was a lot easier turning down a guy then it would be for some desperate nerdy girl who'd break down crying if he worded it wrong. At least he hoped so; he wasn't sure if Sniper would cry or not.

"Sniper...I'm not gay and I'm _**NOT**_ involved with that BLU Spy," He said, trying to remain calm. He tried imagining talking to the Spycrab, after said crab told him not to raise his voice when he'd get excited. "I never was...that way, I'm straight. Even if I was, liking me just because you think I'm gay... that's... it's just not ok. You can't form anything just because you have the same kind of sexuality. That's not how you should form a relationship with someone; it takes more then that..." Again, he thought of the Spycrab, this time smiling warmly at him. A very faint blush appeared on Scout's face. "...Much more."

The Engineer blinked, looking rather impressed with Scout. Mostly because the boy was remaining calm and not yelling like he usually did. It was either maturity, or Scout was possessed by an 'out of character' ghost. Even the Sniper looked impressed by that as well, nodding in agreement when Scout finished.

"I'm sorry," Scout finally said after a pause.

Again, Sniper nodded. "Yeah, me too." Another long pause. "Are you ok? You look flushed."

"I'm fine," lied Scout; he was far from being fine. That sick feeling he had earlier was still there. "I'm just comin' down with somethin'..., Sniper?"

"Yeah?"

Scout glared at the man from the corners of his eyes. Despite how calm he looked at the moment, the Scout's eyes told another story. "Don't ever touch me again."

* * *

When the Engineer was satisfied with fixing the tension between the Scout and Sniper, he allowed the Scout to return to his room, noting how pale Scout was looking and figuring he was in major need of sleep. He just smiled as he watched the runner limp out of the ward, only pausing long enough to grab his notebook.

Yet another sigh from the Sniper. "I messed up, didn't I?" he asked the Engineer.  
"It could've happened to anybody- just an honest mistake," said the Engineer optimistically. " Can I ask you somethin' though? Why did you choose Scout anyway?"

The Sniper looked up, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes before speaking. "You want to know the truth?"

"You're not gay?" assumed the Engineer.

The Sniper chuckled. "No, I...I really am that...but...well, I've spent all my years as a sniper in isolation, I still do that," he explained. "Sure, I thought Scout was gay, but I also wanted a friend. Even loners want company every now and then, and Scout didn't have any friends, so I thought it'd be easy to befriend 'im... and I wouldn't mind havin' a friend with benefits as well."

The Sharpshooter wished he hadn't added that last part, finally noticing the pissed off look on the Texan. Before he could say anything, the Engineer grabbed the Sniper's hat and began to hit him with it.

"You idiot!" yelled the man. "You were only after the Scout because you didn't have a friend!"

The Engineer didn't stop, continuing to hit the Sniper with his own hat as the tall Australian tried to protect his face with his arms, a bit freaked out by the display of aggression.

"What am I to you! Just another RED jackass like everyone else? I've always considered you my friend!"

Slowly, very slowly, the Engineer stopped slapping Sniper around with his own dusty hat and just let it fall from his hands as he leaned in and hugged the Sniper.

"Damn it, Tex, you weren't alone," muttered the Engineer as he hugged his friend. "You were never alone."

The Australian only blinked, feeling stupid for not noticing how close he was to the Engineer in the past. The Texan was always there for him, during the best and the worst of times. Even when everyone turned against him at one point, the Engineer was always there to defend him, even returning the status quo to normal- with threats, yes- but they honestly deserved it.

Cautiously, with fear of getting beaten up again with his hat- the Sniper returned the hug. He felt a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders, and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Truckie," he breathed. "I'm sorry."

* * *

Scout half-limped to his room. His leg didn't hurt anymore thanks to the Medic's help, but he didn't have the energy to walk straight like nothing had happened. His mind was spinning, still having trouble with putting things together. The Sniper kissed him, partially against his will. Did that count as losing his virginity? No. Losing that required becoming intimate with someone. Yet, kissing was one way to start the process, right?

Scout pushed his door open, holding onto it for support before making his way to the bathroom. He was feeling a very familiar sign in his stomach for 'Go to the bathroom. NOW'.

How was he going to explain this to the Spycrab? Well, considering whether or not he could still hear the talking crab. He kissed a man - and he didn't like it. Did he have to be more then just pure, body wise? His first kiss, and the Sniper took it. Would he still be able to break the curse?

Scout fell down to his knees as he leaned over the toilet bowl, feeling his stomach tighten with the images of the Sniper pinning him against the wall. Leaning in...his lips puckered every so slightly.

A loud groan escaped Scout's throat as he coughed and threw up. Feeling tears stream down his face as he gasped for air. He wasn't even sure what he was staring at; he didn't see anything in front of him anymore. Just...nothing.

What if the Engineer never showed up? How far would the Sniper have gone with him? Scout never consented to the kiss. The Sniper took his 'lip-ginity', would he have taken more than that given the chance?

"Oh god, not again!" Scout whimpered before his abdomen tightened as he heaved the remaining contents of his stomach into the toilet.

He wasn't sure how many times he hurled his breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but it did eventually stop. He slumped from the bowl onto the floor of the bathroom after flushing, panting heavily as he curled into a fetal position, trying to calm down and relax. This proved to be very difficult at the moment, as he still felt sick. But at least it wasn't the 'throwing up' kind of sick.

With a sigh, he closed his eyes. He was too fed up with himself to even move from the floor. Yep, he was gonna sleep there tonight, at least until the RED Spy came in to check on him. The Spycrab told him he did that, probably as practice for when he marries the BLU Scout's mother- whenever that would be- or because he really did have a fatherly relationship with the Bostonian. Whatever. Scout didn't feel like caring anymore.

"Spy..." he whispered. "...please come back."

* * *

_I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving break, and I apologize for the previous cliffhanger, along with it's many typos. And I must apologize for how out of character Scout may be in this particular chapter. Thanks for reading!_


	33. Order Restored

_A Million apologies for the two month wait. The holidays are the worst time to be writing right now. I'm really disappointed with this chapter, though. Hopefully the next one will make up for this._

_Anyway, today is my Birthday today! Yay. A New chapter is my present to everyone! I hope it was worth the wait._

* * *

**Chapter 33** - _Order Restored_

-_BLU Base_-

The team was still too excited when lights out came around. Although it was cleared up of why the Announcer never called the battle, there was still a sense of confusion in the air as everyone enjoyed a late snack, a few of them conversing about how many REDs they killed or even talk about suing for negligence.

The Spycrab kept himself out of sight on the kitchen counter while the BLU Scout fixed himself a sandwich, occasionally switching his attention from his food to the blue crab hiding behind the flour tin. He didn't want to seem suspicious by retreating to his room for the night, although he was tired, he had plans to sneak by the Spycrab back to the RED Scout. He promised his counterpart that he was just holding his old friend for a day, and he was going to keep that promise.

Both the Spycrab and Scout's attention was grabbed when the Demoman - loudly- brought up the subject of the BLU Spy's precious yellow ribbon. The Spycrab blamed the absence of women for his teammate's tendency to act like high school boys when the subject of the opposite sex popped up.

It still came as a shock to him, that his replacement, as cold and twisted as the man is, actually treasured someone who previously owned that ribbon. His view of the man would've changed, if the thought of the BLU Spy hell bent of killing his precious Scout didn't keep replaying in his mind. Oh well.

"Next to his heart he keeps it," slurred the Demoman, dramatically holding both of his hands over his heart like he was a woman being seduced in a soap opera. "Like a bloody sissy!"

"No wonder he's such a pain in the ass," The BLU Soldier jumped in. "It's sexual frustration." He then added, "This is why God gave us hookers!"

Everyone quieted down almost immediately when the very Spy they were talking about walked into the kitchen. After an hour of sleep he was permitted by the Medic to leave the ward, although it looked like he could use another hour or two of sleep. The bags under his eyes were a dead giveaway.

The Spycrab took that as his chance to dive down the BLU Scout's shirt as the man approached the counter. The Spy was in an almost zombie like state as he silently collected some hot water in a cup to make himself some tea. He also ignored the BLU Scout's oddly distracting facial expressions as the young man did his best to put up with the crab crawling down his front.

It was easy to tell the rest of the team was having trouble keeping quiet; there were a lot of questions they wanted to ask the BLU Spy at this moment. Mostly about this mysterious girlfriend he had, if the ribbon belonged to a girl that is.

"So...how's the concussion?" asked the BLU Engineer.

"Mild." answered the Spy, simply.

"Any broken ribs?" asked the Sniper.

"Non."

"Does that mean 'yes'?" asked the Soldier.

"No."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Another bout of the awkward silence. The Spy only kept his view glued to the window as he gazed out at the damaged battlefield. He wasn't sure if there'd be a battle tomorrow, but it gave him time to reflect of how close he came to dying permanently. Had the BLU Scout not slapped some sense into him, he would've been sent home in a box, cueing another Spy to take his place. Why was it, though, that that didn't bother him?

The BLU Sniper suddenly let out an annoyed and impatient groan, pushing himself to his feet. "Daah! I can't take this anymore! Who **is **she, mate?"

"She-who?" asked the BLU Spy, looking at the table of curious BLUs over his shoulder. "You almost sound jealous, Trip."

Another groan, the Sniper hated that nickname. Everyone began calling him that for his tendency to aim at the kneecaps of the REDs. It only annoyed him even more when the new BLU Spy started calling him that like the others.

"I ain't jealous, I'm just curious 'bout yer girlfriend." insisted the Sniper as he sat back down.

The Spy turned his attention forward, taking another sip of his tea calmly. "I do not 'ave a girlfriend."

"Is she a red-head? I bet she's a red-head." said the Soldier, excitable. "Spy's bangin' himself a red-head!"

"Oooh, she has the red hair?" The BLU Heavy asked with a gasp.

The BLU Scout took a cautious step away from the Spy when he heard a heavy, annoyed sigh from the man. That was usually a tell-tale sign that something bad was going to happen.

"She does _not _'ave red 'air, nor is she my girlfriend!" The BLU Spy answered as calmly as possibly, although it was easy to hear how irritated he was at the moment.

That mild outburst shut everyone up. Although their facial expressions gave away that they still had questions that needed to be answered. When it remained silent for a few more seconds, the Spy let out a sigh and relaxed. The Spycrab couldn't help but feel mischievous at the moment, peeking himself over the edge of the BLU Scout's shirt with a little crabby grin.

"Is she hot?" He asked.

The Spy clenched his teeth as he slammed his cup down on the counter, shattering it on impact. "Who. Said. That?" He demanded, looking over his shoulder with a beyond pissed off expression.

"Calm down, mate," said the Sniper, sharing everyone's freaked out look at the man's random outburst. "We didn't say anything."

He allowed what remained of his cup to fall from his fingers as he turned around, still with that angry look plastered on his face. "Do not lie to me."

A pair of firm hands grabbed the Spy's arm, pulling him back when he stepped forward to threaten the team even more. It wasn't a surprise when he saw it was the BLU Scout trying to calm him down from this personal matter. The Spy still was annoyed by that look in his eyes; confidence, not fear towards him.

"Y-you were hearing th-th-things again," said the BLU Scout. "Th-the Medic says that's normal, y-y-y'know...to hear things after what you went through."

"Is NOT!" said the Solider, who was immediately hit in the head with a muffin by the Demoman to shut him up.

The Spy was silent, keeping his eyes glued on the younger BLU. Everyone held their breathes, not knowing how the agitated Frenchman was going to react. Even the Spycrab was holding still with the anticipation, that and feeling guilty for speaking up to break the silence earlier.

Finally, the Spy just let out a huff, pulling his arm away from the Scout as he turned to clean up the mess he made on the counter. While doing so he muttered to himself in a low, irritated tone in French. The BLU Scout took that as his cue to gesture everyone to leave the room, using an unnecessary amount of hand signals before everyone got the message. As they left the BLUs picked up what they had and headed off to bed for the night. The BLU Scout tried to do the same, straightening himself up before he went to grab his incomplete sandwich and follow after them with the Spycrab. He flinched and let out an alarmed gasp when the Spy suddenly grabbed his wrist, forcing him to stay put.

"Are you not curious as well?" asked the Spy, in a low tone.

Scout gulped, looking at the other Spy from the corner of his eyes. He was terrified that the Spy was still his old self, despite Scout's difficult act of kindness towards the man. The Spycrab frowned from the inside of his teammates shirt, ready to jump out and attack if it did come to that, though. Scout opted to keep quiet, he didn't want to start any trouble.

The Spy took that as a hint. "I do not 'ave a girlfriend, she is just a friend." He said sternly, trying to get the point across. "A very precious friend..."

It was a surprise when the Spy simple let go of the BLU Scout's arm with a sigh, as if he was reminiscing. Which...was probably what he was doing at the moment due to that look in the mans' eyes.

"She must have been special to you.".

The Frenchman nodded "The precious kind of friend...you never forget, no matter what..." He added very softly, placing his hand over the pocket on his jacket, that held the yellow ribbon he treasured.

"Did you... love her?"

"Yes, I loved 'er at one point, and I told myself I was going to marry 'er, but that was just a childish dream..."

"_Wow, this quiet shit is givin' me some surprising results_." Thought the BLU Scout. He wasn't sure what he did to get the Spy to suddenly open up to him. Then again, he wasn't aware of the Spycrab asking all the questions using the BLU Scout's voice. Hey, he may be a crab, but he was still a spy. Kind of.

"What made you change your mind?" asked the Spycrab, again using the Scout's voice.

"I'm just not good enough for 'er..." answered the Spy, focusing idly at the counter as he stood next to his teammate, who also kept staring forward, awkwardly. "I never would 'ave made 'er 'appy."

"I'm sorry." The BLU Scout said. The real BLU Scout this time, not the Spycrab imitating his voice.

"Thank you...for your kindness towards me," The Scout had to do a double take. Did the Spy seriously just say something nice for once? He definitely had to check the temperature in Hell when this was over with. "I do not deserve your attention...but I am sincerely thankful...for you listening...and... for saving my life."

Hell had to be freezing over right now.

"Uhhhh..." was all the BLU Scout managed to say when he finally looked at the new Spy.

"The Medic told me...'ave you not brought me back, the Repawn would 'ave been shut off and I would 'ave died out there," The Spy explained, before pausing for a moment. "Your real name...it is Miles, yes?"

"Uhhhh..." replied the Scout.

"I 'eard the Medic refer to you as such when you brought me in." The Spy clarified to the still stunned BLU Scout.

"Uhhhh..." replied the Scout. Again.

The Spy patted the young BLU on the head, very awkwardly. Being nice to someone who annoyed him was very new to him. "Thank you, Miles, I...owe you my life." He said. After another awkward pause, he slowely turned to return to his room. "Sleep well, tonight."

"Uhhhh..."

Even though the Spy was gone and Scout was the only one in the kitchen, with the lights off even, he was still stunned about what happened. The new Spy was NICE to him? Did aliens replace the new Spy with a nice new Spy while he was in the infirmary? He hoped that was what happened.

The Spycrab poked the Scout's stomach with his claw to get the BLU Scout to snap out of trance. He even tried scuttling over his friends known 'tickle' spots and still got no response. He wasn't even sure why he was so desperate to return to the RED Scout at this point, but he was going to be there tonight even if he was to scuttle across the snow by himself. Of course, getting out of the BLU Scout's shirt was going to be a problem, so he had to resort to a classic cliché.

"AUGH! MY NIPPLE!"

* * *

-_RED Base_-

The RED Scout's eyes flew open with the stinging sensation of a slap across the face. He wasn't surprised to see the RED Spy looming over him from the bathroom floor. The man had an awful habit of checking on him since the 'found drunk in his own room' incident back at 2Fort.

The Spy smiled coyly. "Got into the Demoman's stash again 'ave we?" He asked with a chuckle.

The Scout groaned as he rubbed his eyes. "Shut up, man," He groaned. "I feel like shit, and not the drunken kind, ok?"

"Is there really a difference? I kid, but you really should not be sleeping on the floor, it is not good for your health." The Spy laughed as he grabbed Scout's hand and helped him to his feet, quickly catching his teammate when his legs buckled under him.

"Ugh...what time is it?" groaned the Scout.

"Late." The Spy answered, leading Scout out of the bathroom.

"How late?" asked Scout.

"Almost three in the morning." The Spy said, helping the Scout slip out of his shoes and tucked him into bed. "Consider yourself lucky that we do not 'ave to fight in the morning."

Scout stared blankly up at the ceiling, still feeling drained of energy, but the thought of what happened earlier kept him awake. That, and wondering how he was going to tell the Spycrab this when, or if, he ever got his crabby friend back.

"Are you alright?"

The rather raspy voice of his teammate snapped him back to attention.

"Um...yeah...I'm fine." He said.

That didn't convince the Spy, but he didn't want to push that matter. He patted Scout on the shoulder before he stood up and headed out of the room, leaving the Scout alone in his thoughts. He stopped, suddenly, getting the urge to straighten up Scout's room a bit, tossing the damp or wet shirts into the already filled hamper.

Scout felt his heart skip a beat when he noticed the RED Spy pick up his notebook and began flipping through it. Sure most of the pages were filled with badly drawn naked woman, but who was going to complain about that? An art critic maybe, but that wasn't the point.

"Different form... Same personality...What is this?" The Spy faced the Scout with the notebook.

With a sigh, Scout pushed himself up a bit into a sitting position. Well, he knew someone was going to figure it out eventually. "Research." He answered with another sigh.

"Research?" Repeated the Spy in a slightly skeptical tone.

"Yeah, y'see I-"

The Spy took another look at Scout's notes. "Oh, I see now." He interrupted. "You are writing a book. I never knew you were a writer, my friend."

"I'm not." Scout said flatly.

The Frenchman looked over his shoulder with a sarcastic look. "I _know_, you're 'and writing gave that away. You could not tell I was being sarcastic?"

"You sounded like you were bein' serious," Scout groaned as he flopped back down into his pillow. "Jerk!"

The RED Spy chuckled as he sat on the edge of the bed. "So this is what you 'ave been working on the past week...Ghost, curses and crabs...you 'ave an unusual view on symbolism."

"Symbolism?"

"The crab in your notes, they can symbolize a numbers of things; Cycles, Trust, Protection, Regeneration and Transformation."

The Scout couldn't help but remember how the Spycrab protected him against the other BLU Spy that one warm day. Being covered in mud and being yelled at by the Medic for tracking footprints was so worth it. He wasn't sure if the RED Spy meant that with 'protection', but that was how Scout felt at the moment.

"I wasn't aimin' for anything symbolic!" said Scout. "I was just tryin' to figure something out for a friend...y'know...just if a ghost can curse things or can the curse be undone?"

"So you're not writing a book?"

Scout furrowed his brow, giving his teammate a very annoyed look. Silently pointing out that this was already discussed and he hated repeating himself.

"Ah, I see your point," muttered the Spy, clearing his throat. "Well, do I know this 'friend'?"

"In a way. We're - uh- tryin' to settle somethin'... a bet"

The Spy cringed a bit. "And it involves...crabs?"

"Not THOSE kinds of crabs! It's just -uh- a metaphor or somethin'."

The unconvinced look on the RED Spy's face told the Scout that his teammate wasn't buying his lie.

"Shut up, Man! Nobody asked you!" The Scout pouted, shifting onto his side so his back was turned to the Spy.

The Spy chuckled. "My apologies. What was this bet with your friend anyway? Does it involve ghosts?"

"Kind of," answered Scout, calming down a bit from his tantrum. "He was...y'know...cursed, and he believes only a - uh- kiss from a virgin can...eh...break it...th-the curse I mean!" He wasn't quite sure why he was telling the RED Spy this. Maybe he was delirious from being molested by the Sniper.

"And _that_ isn't symbolic?" asked the Spy in a teasing tone.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Scout demanded, sitting up a bit.

The Spy held up his hands defensively. "Relax, I do not mean any 'arm with the comment," he laughed. Scout calmed down a bit but still looked peeved. "Virgins are pure in more ways than one: it's that kind of purity that, in a way, blesses them. If your friend believes that a virgin can break this curse...well, then pucker up, Precious!"

"HEY! I never said this involved me!" Scout took his extra pillow and slammed into the Spy, and only managed to hit him as he got up to leave the room. "And I ain't a virgin!"

"You 'ave been reading too many fantasy stories," the Spy laughed as he walked across the room. "Sleep well, petit." With that, the man was gone.

At first the Scout was ready to go to sleep, shifting onto his stomach and tucked his arms under his pillow with a heavy sigh. However, he found that hard with his stomach still in knots, and the RED Spy being lazy enough to leave the door open. He hated that, but he was too tired at the moment to get up and close the door himself.

What bothered him the most was having to come to terms with what the RED Spy said, even if the Frenchman didn't know what was going on and was just wanted to mess with his head. The research Scout has been working on wasn't providing any answers he was looking for, no alternate cure or anything, just the same answer: Kiss the crab.

"Just ignore it..." He told himself, forcing his eyes closed. "Just...ignore it..."

It was no surprise that he quickly drifted off the sleep. The second he got that image of kissing a crab out of his head, he relaxed and blacked out.

* * *

-_Half an hour later_-

"Scout?"

Scout's eyes flew open when he heard a voice call out his name. "Oh god, this better not be another acid dream." He slapped himself on the face to make sure this was real. Yep. No puffy pink clouds or frolicking marshmallow bunnies.

"Scout? Look down here." The voice ordered.

"I don' wanna!" Scout whined, burying his face in the pillow. "Yer just gonna make me frolic on puffy clouds an' make me feel all gay 'n shit."

There was a slight, awkward pause.

"What the HELL are you talking about?"

Scout lifted his head. There was no such thing as swearing in dreams, so this had to be real. He quickly shuffled to the edge of the bed and looked down, inhaling a bit when he saw a familiar blue crab smiling up at him.

"Hello, Princess." The Spycrab greeted softly.

There was another pause, Scout mostly trying to tell if this was real or not.

"Am I dreamin'?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Want me to pinch you to make sure?" asked the Spycrab, snapping his claws.

"Yeah...that'd be cool," Scout said, lowering an arm down for the crab. "I'm really havin' a hard time tryin' to - AAAGGHH! JEEZE THAT FREAKIN' HURTS!" He retracted his arm, bringing the crab up onto the bed with him.

"Convinced now?" The Spycrab chuckled as he released his grip on the Bostonian's arm and fell onto the mattress.

"Th-this is real...y-you're back." breathed the Scout. "How?"

"The BLU Scout dropped me off not too long ago, he felt bad about keeping me longer than planned." Said the Spycrab.

The Scout frowned, very unsatisfied with the answer. "Well, yeah, I know _that_ much, but how did he friggin' get inside?"

"The front door."

"He...just walked in? Not settin' off alarms or anything?"

"It would appear to be that way, the door was unlocked nor was the security system the Engineer spend hours installing switched on. So we just easily waltzed in, he set me at the top of the stairs and I walked in to find you." A momentary pause. "I blame your Soldier. It was his responsibility to turn on the system in the first place."

The look on the Scout's face told the Spycrab that he wasn't paying attention. Just a blank stare aside from the fact that the boy's eyes were slowly growing larger. The Spycrab figured Scout wasn't even aware the actual tears were streaming down his face. He'd deny crying even if the Spycrab pointed that out.

"You're back..." repeated the Scout. "...and I can hear you."

"What do you mean you can hear me?" The Spycrab asked with a confused tone.

Yet another slight moment of silence between the two. Very slowly, Scout took the small crab into his hands and brought him up near his neck. It took the Spycrab a moment before he realized the Scout was doing his best to hug him. He couldn't help but smile, nuzzling against the warm skin of Scout's neck to do his equally best attempt to hug him back. He wasn't going to hide how touched he felt, knowing that the RED who used to hate him actually missed his company. He wasn't about to deny he missed being with the boy himself.

"You could really use a bath." The Spycrab whispered into Scout's ear.

"You too." Scout whispered back.


	34. Scout's choice

_I want to apologize for the wait- again._

_A lot of my Beta-Readers disappeared on me. So don't be surprised if there are a whole mess of mistakes in this chapter. _

* * *

**Chapter 34 - **_Scout's Choice_

Despite it being in the middle of the night, Scout opted to fill the tub up with hot water so he and the Spycrab can catch up and wash themselves. The Spycrab sat on the top of Scout's knee and started things off, mostly with what he learned about his replacement that could help Scout in the future.

Scout listened as he washed himself with the bar of soap, nodding occasionally with what the cursed Spy was telling him. The new Spy's fear of crabs - mostly talking crabs- made the young RED laugh, not as hard as he did when learning that his nemesis was a virgin - like him- but it was still hilarious. The crab continued, talking about the mishap on the field; The Announcer's calls and colliding missiles from the Soldiers that resulted in half the field being wiped out. The two debated about what happened. They both agreed in the end that is was probably just a communication error, hopefully something that would be fixed and the injured mercenaries given a public apology.

"After what we went through they **better**." Scout groaned.

The Spycrab made his way across Scout's body so he was on the boy's shoulders, wanting in on the soaps suds so he could get clean as well. He continued with his story, adding in how the BLU Scout saved the BLU Spy's life and seems to be safe from the man's torment. Which was a huge peace of mind to the Spycrab. Knowing his old friend wasn't being abused during his absence was allowing him to focus more on becoming human...at least that's what he was telling himself.

"You ok?" The Scout asked.

The Spycrab blinked, unaware that his voice trailed off as he was talking. "Oh, forgive me, I just lost my train of thought."

"Sounds like you had a good time," Scout noted, sounding a bit envious. The only thing worth telling was loosing his lip-ginity, but he wasn't sure how the Spycrab would react.

"What about you?" Scout was afraid the Spycrab was going to him that. "I'm sure you had a good time while I was gone. Care to share?"

"I was kissed by the Sniper." admitted Scout.

The Spycrab frowned, jumping down from the tub and claiming a little crab-sized hat and suitcase that was magically there for some reason. "You...slut! I'm leaving you! You're going to die alone! Aggravated French Word!" He shouted, picking up his tiny suitcase and scuttled out of the room.

"Noooo!" Scout cried out dramatically as manly tears streaming down his face.

Scout blinked, snapping back to reality from his overactive imagination. Looking at the Spycrab from the corner of his eyes with uncertainty of how his crabby friend might _really_ react.

"The...Sniper...beat me at checkers." The Bostonian lied. He was too ashamed to admit what happened. Judging by how in the closet the Sniper was, chances were that what happened was just between him and the Scout. Scout was willing to take that encounter with him to the grave.

"That bastard." chuckled the Spycrab.

The RED Scout forced himself to laugh softly as well, although very unconvincing. Luckily, the Spycrab didn't notice as he calmed down with a sigh and leaned in against the side of Scout's warm neck very casually. Had he been human, he would've been able to wrap an arm around the boy's thin frame to pull him close and contribute his own warmth to the embrace.

That desire to be human practically burned inside him, but so was that wish to remain with the Scout. He couldn't be both, only one or the other.

"So...have you, by chance, found...an alternate way to lift this curse?" Asked the Spycrab, almost reluctantly.

Silence was his answer. Part of him was having a hard time deciding it that was good or bad. He opted to stay quiet and find out if Scout was just being reluctant or thinking about how to word his reply to the question.

With an awkward little hum, the suds-covered crab slid down the Scout's equally slippery chest and into the water that collected in the runner's lap to wash off the soap. Making sure to scuttle back onto Scout's kneecap before the boy could complain about him trying to steal a peek at his privates. The Spycrab already did so while down there, so he didn't have any regrets.

"No," Scout finally said with a sigh. "I went over everything with a fine tooth comb and I got nothin'!"

"I'm sorry." said the Spycrab.

"I even_ discreetly_ asked the Spy I work with and even **he** suggested I should kiss ya!"

"I'm..sorry?" The Spycrab repeated.

"Jackass probably kissed a crab, that's why he was all so...casually with it."

The Spycrab let out an annoyed sigh. "Are you done now?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Scout muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And stop starin' at my nipples!"

The crab's eyes shot up so he was making eye contract with the slightly peeved Scout again. "Sorry."

"Eh, whatever," shrugged Scout, although - much to the Spy's dismay- he didn't remove his arms from his chest. "I kinda missed your little gay habits, they keep me on my toes."

The Spycrab rose an eyebrow- even though crabs don't have eyebrows. "Really?" His tone sounded skeptical.

"No, that was a lie." Scout admitted with a sigh.

"Clearly." muttered the crab.

"I did miss you though...a lot."

His little beady eyes looked over at the Scout. He couldn't recall if the Bostonian had made a comment like that too him before or not, it was easy to lose track of the boy's honest moments. At this point, the Spycrab was getting a little too hopeful that Scout was finally coming out of the closet - considering if he _was_ in the close to begin with.

"I have missed you as well," replied the Spycrab softly. "These past few days, despite being surrounded by old friends, have been very lonely for me. Have they been lonely for you as well?"

"_YES!"_ Scout wanted to scream, but he kept quiet. Only shrugging his shoulders as a response.

The crab chuckled, he could see the Scout's answer in the runner's usually wide eyes. It was getting really easy to read his mind by just looking at his eyes and keeping watch on his facial expressions.

With a smile, the Spycrab cleared his throat. Wanting to have a very serious conversation with the boy since he had Scout where he wanted him.

"Scout...," He began. Just hearing his class name got the boy's attention. "There is something I wish to discuss with you."

Scout cringed. "Oh man, that can't be good."

"Non, not at all, well...it could be, depending on how you look at it."

"Ok...so, what's on yer mind?" Scout was confused, but curious.

The little blue crab took a deep breath and looked at Scout with a rather serious - as far as serious look from a crab can get - glance.

"I'll be honest, Scout, these past months I have spent by your side have caused me to grow very fond of yo-I-I mean being here." The former Spy admitted. "I really enjoy being with you...and now that I know that my teammates are no longer being abused by my replacement...well...I would not mind continuing that."

Scout tried speaking, but the Spycrab held up his claw to silence the runner. He wasn't done yet.

"I know that you have worked so hard...to find a way to lift this curse...but that's what I want to discuss with you...," continued the Spycrab. "I want you to decide my future; Either I go back to my team as a human again, or I stay here by your side ...as a crab."

The seriousness in the Spy's tone snapped Scout out of his trance. Was this really happening?

"You...want me to decide if you go back to bein' human or stayin' a crab?" Scout repeated. "Y-you jokin', right? Dude, this is - like- yer life we're talkin' about, and you want **ME** to choose for you?"

"I will happy with either choice," said the Spycrab. "As a human, I will be back with my teammates and back to my former life. And as a crab, I am here...with you."

"That's...not a very good reason to stay a crab." muttered Scout, sinking into the water.

"It is to me." said the Spy, almost in a whisper. "I'd rather stay a crab, then be your enemy again."

Scout was quiet, not knowing what to say. He thought the Spy's earlier request to find an alternate way to lift the curse was hefty, but deciding the man's fate made the other sound like a cake walk.

It was easy to see the conflict in the Scout's eyes, but the Spycrab merely smiled as he tapped the boy's knee with his claw.

"Why don't you sleep on it," he suggested with a warm tone. "Either choice you make, I will be happy with it."

"_Easy for you to say_." The Scout though to himself with a deep frown. "Crap..."


	35. Broken Pride

_(Seriously? How long has it been since I last updated? Years?_

_Well, I got around to finishing this chapter. A little disappointing...but it's leading up to the near climax of the story. Enjoy)_

**Chapter 35** - _Broken Pride_

"He asked you to do _WHAT_ now?"

The RED Scout sighed as he leaned against the remaining wall of the destroyed cabin. Part of him was regretting seeking advice from his BLU counterpart, but then again, he didn't have anyone else to ask.

When he had the chance, he snuck out in the middle of the night to locate the BLU Scout's room. He almost got caught a couple of times, but his lightning-fast reaction time got him in and out of the base before anyone - especially that BLU Spy - suspected a RED was in the base.

It was simple: Wait for another rest period between endless fights and tell the BLU Scout what was going on. Easy. The trick was to explain it quickly to his counterpart in a single breath before running back to the RED base like a bat out of hell. The Scout was lucky the BLU Scout was smarter than he looked.

On a side note - despite their similar appearances -The RED Scout always thought the BLU Scout looked a little dorky. Then again, anyone who proved to be smarter than him was always dubbed that title in his mind.

"This is the third time you asked me, man," said the RED Scout. "And I still haven't changed my answer. That should probably tell ya somethin'."

"Sorry, sorry, it-it's just kind of a shock that he would ask that of ya." The BLU Scout muttered.

"_Whaaaat_? He never put a teammate in a situation like that before?" asked the RED Scout, sarcastically. The BLU Scout shrugged.

"No. But th-th-this is the first time he actually put someone else before him th-though," he said innocently. "He may seem like a nice guy at times, but he was pretty selfish."

Cue the awkward silence. The two Scouts just sat on the ground with their backs against the wall, looking in opposite directions to avoid making eye contact with the other. It gave the Scout a brief moment to think about what he was actually going to do: Keep the Spycrab, or man up and actually break this curse and send the man back to his team.

If he kept the Spycrab with him, he'd have a friend and an advantage against the BLU team since the little crab took up a habit of coming with the Scout onto the field. On the other hand...well, at the moment, he didn't have any advantages or disadvantages for returning the Spy to his team. Aside from the fact that he'd be kissing a crab, he was still against the idea, even if it worked or not!

"Isn't this the part where you try talkin' me into returning your teammate?" asked the RED Scout.

"I...I've actually been thinking about that a bit," The BLU Scout admitted. He was fidgeting a bit. "Y'know...our new Spy is becoming less of a dick these days and..." Scout let out a loud annoyed groan.

"Oh don't tell me you're goin' soft on me, man!"

"A change in opinion isn't goin' soft, fella," said the BLU Scout.

"A few months ago you hated that jackass!"

"Yeah, but he's lightened up a bit..."

"Maybe on **you**, but he still wants to jump rope around the field with my guts!"

"Oh yeah, forgot about that." The RED Scout's eye twitched a bit.

"How can you possibly forget about tha- oh forget it!"

"See? That was easy."

"Just stop talking."

"Ok."

A short pause.

"So...what do you think I should do?" Scout asked, reluctantly. The Scout looked at his counterpart from the corners of his eyes, seeing what appeared to be just a smidge of a dreamy smile from the BLU.

"I don't think it's my place to say," The BLU answered. "He asked you to choose what should happen to him, not me."

"Jeeze...you're no help at all." complained the RED Scout.

"Why am I getting' th-this feeling that you have an answer already...but you-you're just being a pain in the ass to answer it yourself?"

The Scout froze at that question. When the BLU Scout tried giving him the 'look', he just turned his head to avoid making eye contact again. He had a feeling if he tried the usual denial, the BLU was just going to continue pushing and pushing the subject. After a while it tended to get annoying.

Still, even with the BLU Scout staring at him with a really creepy unblinking look, the Scout felt himself looking down a bit in guilt. This made his counterpart smile.

"You like him, don't ya?"

"ONLY AS A FRIEND!" Scout said defensively.

"I wasn't accusing you of being gay," said the BLU calmly. "Wh-which is a shame. I, myself, as a bisexual find you to be kinda-"

"Please, just stop talkin'." begged Scout.

"Sorry."

Scout sighed in relief.

"So, you were saying..." The BLU Scout said. Scout calmed down, getting back on track again.

"I...well...I dunno...I like havin' him around...he's pretty much my only friend here on the field and he's the only one I can talk to these days." He looked at his counterpart. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but all my teammates think I'm crazy and yell at windows."

"I have seen you yell at windows on occasion." commented the BLU Scout.

"Shut up." Scout said, flatly. "Anyway..., I'd like to have him stick around, but...I dunno. I just feel guilty keepin' him as, y'know, a crab. Nobody can hear him and I'm the only one he has to talk to. What if I meet an attractive chick and have hot straight sex? Then he's all alone!"

"You...can stop putting so much emphasis that you're straight, I get it." muttered the BLU Scout.

"If that happens then I'll be known as the freak who yells at windows and has a blue colored crab as a pet!" continued Scout. "Well, they already think the Spy is my pet crab since technically it was the Heavy who brought him to me in the first place, but STILL, that just ain't cool!"

The BLU Scout kept his mouth shut, seeing how Scout finally let out what he kept bottled up for so long.

"I just don't know what's gonna happen if me kissin' him does turn him back human, what then? He can't go back to BLU because your jackass of a Spy took his place and he can't stay with me because he's still technical a BLU himself. I'd keep him in my closet if I could, but he's not a freakin' troll!" Scout had to take a moment to catch his breath. "Is-isn't that considered human trafficking after a while?"

The BLU Scout just shrugged as a response. Scout signed as he looked down at the ground again, almost shamefully.

"What if...what if I'm not good enough?" He asked, meekly. "I've never kissed anyone before." The BLU finally spoke up.

"Th-there's nothing wrong with that. If anything, it'd probably make th-the moment even more special."

"You're makin' it gay again." muttered Scout.

"How 'bout you get your head out of your ass and stop worrying about what others might think and be more concerned about your own feelings!" The BLU Scout snapped.

Scout blinked in surprise. It wasn't everyday that his counterpart would get annoyed with him. Actually, he thought that was impossible seeing how the guy was smiling and commenting on how awesome life was all of the time.

"Look, I know you're all about your reputation, especially wi-with your teammates, but you have the right be happy as well," continued the BLU. "Sure, they might judge and made fun of ya, but think about it; They're armed with words and insults, and you have a freakin' gun. Which do you think is gonna be more effective?"

Scout nodded, agreeing with that. He still didn't know what he wanted to do. However, he knew that if he did choose to turn the Spycrab back human again, at least he'd know how the handle from his teammates if they found out.

"Want to practice on me?" offered the BLU Scout. Scout blinked.

"Wait, what?! Are you freakin' kidding me right now?!"

"I helped a lot of my friends when they wanted to practice so they'd be more prepared with their girlfriends," The BLU explained.

"You had a gay kissing crime ring?! That's sick!" Scout cringed.

"You want help on this or not?"

There was, yet again, another long and awkward pause of silence. The BLU Scout just kept a half-lidded glance at his RED counterpart, while Scout looked every which way with his eyes. His face slowly glowed more and more red. Eventually, the RED Scout looked to the side to think about it before he looked back at the BLU.

"Your friends had girlfriends, right? How'd they do it?" He asked, almost timidly. The BLU shrugged.

"Most told me they just closed their eyes and imagined they were kissing Marilyn Monroe."

"Really? Did it work?"

"Well…seeing how they had to call their parents to bring them clean pants...I would say so."

"Gross!"

"So, you want to practice on me?" The BLU Scout offered again.

Silence.

"Sure…" answered Scout, reluctantly. "Why not, Miss Marilyn Monroe?"


	36. Retribution

**Chapter 36** – _Retribution_

It seemed like forever to the Spycrab before the RED Scout finally returned from his meeting with his counterpart. He was never told why Scout needed to meet up with his former teammate, but he found it best not to ask since the boy would always get defensive or make up a not-too-well-thought-out lie. It didn't matter much to him; the time alone gave him time to catch up on his reading, which proved impossible since the Scout didn't have any books TO read, and any books he did find were ten times his size.

The crab really missed his old body. At times, it felt like he was getting bigger by the day since he found out since the pillow he slept on was beginning to feel smaller. He used to exercise a lot as a human. When he wasn't reading, he was working on new techniques to use on the field - particularly new moves he would later use on his favorite RED Scout. He really missed those days, especially feeling the RED Scout struggling in his grasp, spitting and cursing at him before he drove his knife into the side of the boy's neck.

Good Times. The Spycrab sighed heavily, but he immediately shook the nostalgia from his mind. Even though those past days were fun, he wasn't going to deny that what he had now…was far better.  
Instead of waiting 24-hours just to see the RED – only to have to kill him in the end – he actually got the chance to wake up in the morning with him. The Spycrab felt a bit honored at having this chance, knowing none of the other BLUs would have the same opportunity. Unless one of his teammates was having an affair with one of the REDs, which was unlikely, nothing got past him.

He felt a bit conflicted now. As a crab, he would be able to stay with the Scout at all times, but…nothing more, he would be a pet always to the Scout. As a human, however, would they be able to develop a relationship as more then just friends? Considering if the Scout even felt that way about him, would it just go back to him killing the RED again and again, returning to that endless loop again.

The Spycrab's thoughts were cut short when he saw the Scout return. He smiled as he scuttled over to the edge of the bed.

"You're back!" he greeted the Bostonian happily. Scout flinched a bit, not even noticing the crab there on his bed.

"Oh, h-hey!" He greeted back, nervously. "How long you been there?"

"Remember when you woke up this morning?" asked the crab.

"Yeah."

"Since then…"

"Oh." The BLU chuckled.

"So how was your afternoon constitution?"

"My what?"

"Your walk. You went for a walk outside. How did that go?"

The Scout could feel his face begin to burn a bit as he blushed brightly, unfortunately remember what he just did before returning to the RED base. 'Practice' was what the BLU Scout called it, something he'd rather forget was what the RED Scout called it. Goosebumps began to rise on the surface of the Scout's skin as he remembered the way the BLU Scout spoke to him.

_"N-no, not like th-that, I'm not your grandma." _

_"Close your eyes, it'll make th-things easier."_

_"Tilt your head."_

_"Use your tongue, don__'t be afraid to explore." _  
Worst part was that Scout followed those instructions too.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." He muttered.

"Have you been outside for too long?" asked the Spycrab. The Scout blinked, realizing he spoke outloud instead of keeping this thoughts to himself. That was becoming an awful habit by now.

"Uh…Yeah! I'm sick…from being out in the cold!" With a nervous laugh, Scout walked over to the bed to lay down on it. The crab scuttled over to the side to avoid being crushed by the young man. That happened once - it ended very awkwardly. Both agreed to never speak of it again.

Scout sighed heavily as he rested his head on the pillow, his thoughts returning back to the fence he was already on about if he should turn the Spycrab human again or keep him a his crabby pet. At least with turning the crab human that would take care of his problem with the new BLU Spy – Which would be nice. Either way, he would either lose a friend or regain a former enemy. He had a constant companion but constant teasing from his teammates for having a pet crab.

"Which would you choose?" asked Scout. The small blue crab looked up.

"Excuse me?"

"Would you rather stay with me…or return to your team?"

"Either one works for me." answered the Spycrab.

"You suck! Seriously, man," Scout groaned. Without say a word, he let out a loud grunt as he sat up and got off the bed, making his way towards the door.

"Where are you going now?" asked the Spycrab.

"Gonna get something to help me think. I'll be right back."

***  
-BLU Base-

The BLU Scout wasn't too surprised to see everyone had gone to bed when he returned to the base. It was late, and the Soldier usually called the shots on everyone's curfew. Normally, a person would argue, but the others found out that the quicker they complied with the Soldier, the quicker it shut him up!

What did surprise him, though, was finding the Spy slumped at the table with a shot glass in front of him. Judging from the sunken in eyes and the 5 o'clock shadow on his face, he'd been drinking – excessively.

"Uh…h-hi," greeted the BLU Scout, cautiously.

"Bonjour!" The BLU Spy slurred. "Did you know…after six of these," he said as he held up his shot glass. "The alcohol begins to taste less like crap?"

Now, the Scout lived with the new Spy long enough to know it was going to take a really crappy day to make a usually sophisticated man – like this Spy in particular –to begin drinking. He walked up to the table and pushed the empty bottle of alcohol away from the Spy as he took a seat next to the man.

"Something on your mind?" asked the BLU. The Spy already had another bottle opened as he poured himself yet another shot.

"Have you noticed…'ow redundant our lives 'ave become?"

"Can't say th-that I have…" admitted the Scout.

"We fight, we die, we respawn, we win, we lose, we do it all over again." Said the Spy before he took a gulp of his drink.

"Oh…" The Scout said, that moment of realization sinking in.

"And it is not just for tomorrow, it is for the next day and the next day and the next day…" continued the Spy. "Before we know it, it's been a year, and it is not going to stop when we reach that road either. Nooon! It continues on again! 'ow long 'ave you been fighting for this team?" The Scout took a moment to think.

"About six years." He remember joining the BLU team when he was eighteen, just fresh out of highschool with enough lust for blood to land him a job as a mercenary. There was a slight pause before the Spy continued again with his drunken rant.

"That stutter of yours…the Medic told me that when you joined you never stuttered," The Spy noted. "It was not until your third tour that you began having difficulties forming your words."

"Wh-wh-what's th-this all about? Why are y-you bring th-this up?" asked the Scout, wanting to change the subject.

"I want to end this war." Announced the Spy. The Scout paused, looking at the BLU Spy as if he was crazy – to which he was.

"I'll say it again, 'Wh-what'?!"

"It really 'it me when I almost died…this war is not going to end, it is some sick games our employers 'ave us in," said the Spy. "If we can find a way to kill all the REDs without them respawning, then we can finally continue on with our lives…'ave you ever thought about that?" The BLU Scout looked down a bit.

"N-not really."

"What would you do if you were not in this war?" asked the Spy. Without an answer in the mind, the BLU Scout looks away, almost in shame. "Do you see 'ow much this war 'as consumed your life?" The Spy said, softly. "You deserve better."

"Ok, you're clearly beyond drunk now, l-lets get you into bed to sleep it off." Said the BLU Scout as he got up. "Lets go, Buzz."

"That is not my name," the Spy began speaking with a slurred tone again as he got to his feet when the Scout began tugging on his arm. "It is-"

"How 'bout we keep that part a secret, ok? The less I know about you the better." Joke the BLU Scout, allowing the Spy to lean on him as he guided the man through the base towards the sleeping quarters.

"I really do want to know more about you though," admitted the Spy. "Is that's a crime?"

"If th-th-the Soldier finds out…yeah." Said the BLU Scout. "We're encouraged n-not to give away our names." Of course, as the Scout said that, he was starting to feel a bit hypocritical since he and the former Spy, along with the Medic once exchanged their names in secret. He even suggested doing an exchange of blood in the form of a brotherhood bond, to which the Medic objected right away due to the possibility of transmitting a disease.

"That is **stupid**!" Said the Spy. "We're teammates, we should be more than allowed to know one another better!"

It really didn't help that the Spy was beginning to shift his entire weight against the BLU Scout as they walked through the halls. The Spy must have drank enough alcohol to make him pass out eventually, which would be helpful for the BLU Scout at that point. Most of his teammates just rambled when they were drunk. It was helping that this BLU Spy was being (for lack of a better word) philosophical!

"It…hurts sometimes," The BLU Scout replied. "We get close…th-then…something happens."

"Like what?" Slurred the Spy.

"Th-they leave." Answered the Scout. "Either from retiring or…" He paused for a moment, not knowing if he should finish that sentence or not. Part of his knew the BLU Spy was still a sadistic jerk, and to give him any information that might give him ideas on how to kill the RED Scout wouldn't be a smart idea at this point. "N-nevermind. H-HEY-!"

The BLU Scout wasn't paying attention as they neared the Spy's room. By the time his mind finally focused on his surroundings he noticed that he was practically carrying the Spy on his back, which – in turn – caused him to lose his balance. The two BLUs – mostly the Scout – tried to regain their balance before they fell to the floor. However, after a rather messy scramble to remain on their feet as well as trying to catch one another from falling, they both ended up on the floor with a loud thud - more so on the BLU Scout's behalf due to the Spy falling down on top of him.

The Spy groaned when the room stop spinning for him and he finally realized he was laying over the BLU Scout, who looked quite annoyed but didn't bother to push the Spy of him right away. The annoyed look faded though when the BLU Scout noticed that look of sympathy in the Spy's eye. The Frenchman remained quiet as he looked down at his younger teammate. After a moment, though, he sighed and rested his forehead against the Scout's.

"Something 'appened….didn't it?" the Spy asked softly.

The BLU Scout remained quiet, it was really getting awkward having the Spy be on top of him like this. Didn't really help with the strong smell of alcohol on the man's breath. "Please tell me…" The Spy begged softly, sounding almost hurt with the young BLU refusing to answer him. Final, the BLU Scout sighed. Whatever guilt card the Spy was trying to pull, it worked.

"I-It was before I joined the team…" he began. "Something happened wi-with the respawn system, a circuit break or something, but…." The Spy remained quiet at he listened to the Scout, occasionally nodding off as he relaxed and lowered his head to the point that he was resting it against the BLU's neck. The BLU Scout tensed up again, he wasn't sure if the Spy was just really, really drunk and ready to pass out or if he was making a move against him. The fact that the Spy wasn't kissing him yet was a sign that he was just drunk.

"Go on…" muttered the Spy.

"…The Soldier was the only one to make it through…" said the BLU Scout. "Everyone was killed."

"Because of the Respawn?"

"Yeah….a cable malfunctioned without either team knowing…" replied the Scout. "A lot of REDs and BLUs died that day. Except th-th-the Soldier…he was th-the only living BLU."

"That sounds 'orrible."

"Th-that…probably explains why he doesn't encourage us to get close..," whispered the BLU Scout. "It might happen again."

"It won't." said the Spy, his voice more slurred then it was before. "I'll make sure…we don't get…purple unicorns in the bathtub."

The Scout groaned, that was the biggest mood swing he ever experienced and it was getting more annoying than it was earlier. It really didn't get any better for the BLU though when he heard a door open and a familiar presence standing above him. Reluctantly, he looked up to see who was looking down at them; The BLU Medic.

"Hi, Doc." Greeted the BLU Scout, keeping things casual.

"Miles." Said the Medic, looking down at the two. "So, how long has zhis been going on?"

"About twenty minutes," replied the BLU Scout. "He's drunk."

"Is he? Vell, zhis is a first," chuckled the Medic, stroking his chin with is gloved fingers. "Has he thrown up on you yet?"

"No."

"Give it time…"

"Doc, I really don't want to wait until he- AUGGH!" As cliché as it was, the moment the Medic brought up the possibility of the Spy throwing up on him…The Spy threw up on him. Which was quiet amusing to the Medic, who laughed despite the BLU Scout crying out in disgust and trying to push the Spy off of him. "Get him off me, Doc!"  
The Medic continued to laugh, eventually calming himself down with an amused smile.

"Relax, Miles, it's just-"

"I'VE READ ENOUGH MEDICAL BOOKS TO KNOW WHAT'S IN VOMIT!" The BLU Scout yelled.

"Hmm, not a single stutter zhat time…"

"GET HIM OFF ME!"

The Medic laughed again, straightening his glasses as he walked over to help the BLU with the drunken Spy.

-RED base-

It seemed almost like forever as the Spycrab waited for the Scout to return. It was almost déjà vu for him waiting again for that boy to come back to his room. It was quick to get lonely whenever the Scout popped into his mind. The former BLU let out a depressed sigh as he lied down on the pillow in wait. This caused him to flinch when he realized that he was actually getting this upset when the Scout wasn't around, a bit of a silly feeling to have at the moment, but there wasn't much for him to do at this point. The Spycrab looked up when he saw the handle of the door turn and in entered the RED Scout, carrying a familiar looking bottle with him - a bottle of the Demoman's scrumpy.

"And….what do you plan on doing with that bottle?" asked the Spycrab.

"Gonna get drunk!" the Scout announced.

"Again?"

"Hey, I'm havin' trouble deciding on what to do with that bombshell of a proposal! So I'm gonna get drunk and what happens….well, happens!" explained the Scout, practically slamming the door behind him. "And it was a pain in the neck trying to get this too, but don't tell anybody, got it?"

"I can only talk to you, remember?" The Spycrab pointed out.

"And that BLU Spy, 'member?" The Scout retorted. "I'm a virgin, he's a virgin….why can't everyone be a virgin?!"  
The Spycrab shook his head with a chuckle, he wasn't even going to defend that statement as the Scout walked over to his desk, setting down the bottle of alcohol and fished around for a couple of paper cups.

"So you intend to get drunk to make a choice then?" asked the Spycrab.

"That's what I said." The Scout replied. "Wanna join me?"

"Oh…just a cup or two, I'll try to be the responsible one."

"Yer missin' out then." Said the Scout, finally finding a couple of paper cups and setting them on the desk.

"I'd rather remain sober and watch you make a fool of yourself."

"We'll see, buddy." Scout poured a little bit of the scrumpy into one of the paper cups and handed it over to the Spycrab. Despite the cup being bigger then him, the crab took the cup and held it the best he could with his large claws.

"So, shall me making a toast?" suggested the crab.

"A toast? A toast to what? Gettin' drunk and possible kissing a crab?"

"Sounds good to me!"

"Cheers."

-BLU Base. Hours, Later-

The BLU Spy chewed on the end of a cigarette, managing to keep the pain of his hangover from bothering him. With the rest of the team finally asleep, he was able to finally have the time to think to himself. Despite being drunk at the time, he remembered his conversation with the BLU Scout – which brought him into the young BLUs room after he sobered up.

He sat in a chair, just sitting there in the middle of the BLU Scout's room, watching the young man sleep. The Spy thought to himself about the first time he joined the BLU team how he didn't want anything to do with the BLU Scout or any of his team mates. That's just how he was trained as a Spy, not to rely on anyone else but himself. He thought that was how the others were as well. However, despite how much he made it known that he didn't want their help, the BLU Scout opened his mind to that fact that they were a team now. Even if he didn't want it, there were others around him who were going to help him if he wanted it or not. A team, that's what they were.

He felt a little tug of guilt when he remember how he abused the BLU Scout. It didn't make him feel any better when he remembered how the BLU saved his life when he had the chance to let him die for that as well. The BLU Scout was too forgiving, but it was enough to get the Spy thinking. Which was pretty dangerous.

"I'll make things right." The Spy thought to himself. "Starting with this war. I'll….no…." He remembered his vow. That RED Scout. He was going to be a problem, and his inner OCD wasn't going to let him continue on without taking care of him first. "The Scout first…then this war."

The BLU Scout let out a soft moan in his sleep as he stretched in bed. Thankfully, he didn't wake up – it would've been awkward for the BLU Spy to explain why he was watching him sleep. Even to himself, he didn't know why he was in the first place; curiosity might have been the best answer for him. Or something. It didn't occur to him until now that his eyes were locked onto his teammate. Even though his thoughts were on killing the RED Scout, why did he eye the BLU Scout differently? This young man was locked in with the others on their value towards him. Yet right now, it was…

The Spy shook his head, slipping his unlight cigarette into his coat pocket as he stood up. He had a plan now. And as unprofessional as it was – to him at least - he was going to have to do it tonight. Quick and easy and he was going to use the upcoming night storm to take care of it.

Before taking his leave, he took one last look at the BLU Scout, finally noticing the young BLU was sleeping without a shirt on. The Spy rose his eyebrow to this. It was cold, yet this young man was sleeping without…wait, was he?  
With almost a childlike curiosity, the Frenchman walked over to the Scout's bedside and lifted up the covers to check underneath. He let out a quick gasp and let the covers fall back onto the young man's body as he darted out of the room quickly, doing his best to act like nothing happened as well as trying to hide the very obvious blush on his face.

"How is it that he doesn't freeze at night?!"


End file.
